Anita Ogona
The Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Limited, has released one of the three Nigerian aircraft, Airbus A330, detained in France, following the court order, to enable President Bola Tinubu to attend a meeting.
Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment, in a statement on Friday, said the release of one of the three Presidential Jets was a goodwill gesture from the company to the President.
The statement, according to Premium Times, explained that Nigeria’s authority notified the company that President Tinubu had a scheduled meeting with French President, Emmanuel Macron, and it would be impossible for the President to attend the meeting without one of the presidential jets.
Zhongshan said it had consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of its legal dispute with Nigeria.
It read, “Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making.
It has now been made aware that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France as a result of a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week.
As a gesture of goodwill, Zhongshan has lifted the seizure of that aircraft immediately. This will allow it to be used for the President’s trip.”
The statement emphasized that the company remains committed to talks with the Nigerian government with a view to reaching a reasonable compromise rapidly.
Earlier on Thursday, the Federal Government reported that it had initiated both legal steps to address the interim attachment of three presidential aircraft in France.
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