Afrigather …Says Overseas Affairs Ministry was not a part of contract negotiations
Yusuf Tuggar, the minister of overseas affairs, on Friday, stated efforts are on to retrieve the remaining presidential jets seized by the French Court docket on the requests of Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Funding Co. Restricted, a Chinese language agency.
Tuggar said this on Friday, whereas talking with State Home journalists, amidst rising issues over the circumstances that led to the seizure of the presidential jets by the Chinese language agency.
This got here on the heels of experiences that the agency has launched one of many seized jets, to permit President Bola Tinubu use the plane throughout his journey subsequent week.
Recall that Zhongshan, had on Wednesday, secured a court docket order to confiscate three Nigerian presidential jets, till the federal authorities is able to pay $74.5 million awarded to it towards Nigeria.
That is as Goddy Ehimikhuai an Adamawa primarily based authorized practitioner, talking in a phone chat with BusinessDay, expressed dissatisfaction with the reasons given by the federal authorities that the seizure obtained to them with out discover.
Ehimikhuai insisted that there was no manner the French Court docket may have proceeded with such a delicate case with out contacting the Nigerian authorities.
“It’s stunning that Nigeria has discovered itself on this very tight nook, simply few months after the P&ID case that nearly price Nigeria the sum of $11b, attributable to negligence,” he stated.
“As a lawyer, I can let you know that there was no manner a French court docket will proceed with such a case with out placing the federal authorities of Nigeria on discover by means of the Nigerian Embassy in Paris, France. I think that, similar to each different factor we do, somebody could have dismissed the case with a wave of arms.
“ No court docket will probably be glad if you happen to disregard it or deal with any case introduced earlier than it carelessly”
He subsequently referred to as on the federal government to probe the circumstances that led to the court docket judgement and take instant motion to attraction towards the judgement.
However Tuggar, whereas talking on the seizure, stated he’s working with Lateef Fagbemi, the Legal professional Normal of the federation and Minister of Justice to resolve the difficulty, as quickly as attainable.
“ The Legal professional Normal and I are engaged on it, each diplomatically after which from the authorized perspective as effectively, to make sure that this problem is resolved.
“However you see once more, that is a part of the issue when sub nationwide actors like state governments take it upon themselves to enter agreements, go into worldwide preparations, with out recourse to the Ministry of Overseas Affairs, with out recourse to the federal authorities, after which when it goes awry, we’re left with the with the issue to take care of. And that’s the reason it’s all the time necessary that such preparations needs to be registered with the mission there, with the embassy, with the Ministry of Overseas Affairs, and with the federal authorities.
“That is one thing that Ogun state, below a distinct administration, not this governor, entered into that we’re not conscious of. All we all know is that you realize they’re going after Nigerian belongings.
“That’s why, actually, overseas or worldwide negotiations is just not the purview of subnational actors. You must all the time have these which might be skilled in such an space which have the required expertise and the required coaching to barter these kind of agreements, negotiations” he stated.
He assured that the negotiation efforts are in progress, including that “We’ll come again to you and provide you with an replace as and when due, quickly”.
Tuggar who additionally spoke on the current gasoline pipeline Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, stated the 2 international locations have lots of alternatives which have been recognized however not actualized.
He nonetheless famous that President Tinubu, visiting there, ensured that the settlement was sealed
Based on him, “ Nigerian gasoline will probably be delivered to Equatorial Guinea. Equatorial Guinea has a liquefied pure gasoline plant. It’s working out of gasoline, so it’s in want of Nigerian gasoline to maintain the LNG plant going.
He famous that Nigeria has untapped gasoline assets, off the coast of Calabar, in Cross Rivers State and in Akwa Ibom state.
“So it’s solely a matter of establishing 150 kilometer or so pipeline to the LNG plant right here. So that is actually a outstanding achievement. However that’s not all. After all, you may see that this can be a very fertile land. Plantains and bananas develop within the wild.
He additionally revealed that the 2 international locations have a lot commerce that might be happening that’s not, including that “ the 2 presidents have agreed to extend the commerce that is occurring, and likewise the commerce that the 2 international locations can harness collectively for exports to different international locations.
Learn additionally: Inside deal that led to $100m presidential jet seizure
“So we even have a joint nationwide fee that has been inactive. President Tinubu has resuscited that, alongside together with his counterpart, and we’re going to have the primary assembly in November.
“Additionally inside that framework, there’s the difficulty of cooperation when it comes to security and safety of the Gulf of Guinea. These are the 2 international locations which might be basically gatekeepers of the Gulf of Guinea, and that safety collaboration, if you happen to bear in mind, in 2002 there was a vessel that was concerned in illicit oil actions in Nigeria, stolen crude, and it ran right here. And the authorities in EquatorialGuinea arrested that vessel and handed over the crude to Nigeria.
“In order that has set a priority. It’s partially one of many the reason why, since 2022 Nigeria has not had recorded any piracy incident inside our territorial waters, as a result of the pirates know that in the event that they do something and so they run to a spot like equatorial Guinea, it’s going to be they’re going to be despatched again to Nigeria for trial.
“So it signaled the identical factor for different international locations. So this can be a kind of collaboration we want within the Gulf of Guinea, and the agreements which might be being ready to be signed throughout the Joint Nationwide Fee. So there are totally different aspects and totally different features of the achievement of this go to.”
