The Federal Government has attributed the dispute leading to the impoundment of three of its aircraft based on the order of a French court to the wrong handling of international affairs by sub-national actors.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who made this inference while speaking to journalists in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, on Friday, however, said the Federal Government was already resolving the circumstance.
A Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, which is said to have been making series of efforts at illegally hijacking Nigeria’s national assets in foreign countries, over a failed agreement with the Ogun State Government, secured the court order from a Paris court to get Nigeria’s aircraft on routine maintenance in France, confiscated.
Speaking to journalists on the development at the Malabo International Airport, Tuggar said his ministry was working with the Attorney-General to address the issue diplomatically and legally, adding that negotiations are ongoing and an update will be provided when necessary.
Tuggar attributed the predicament to a past agreement entered into by the Ogun State government, without federal government’s knowledge or recourse to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He emphasised the importance of registering such arrangements with the relevant authorities to avoid future complications.
“The Attorney-General and I are working on it, both diplomatically and then from the legal perspective as well, to ensure that this issue is resolved.
“But again, this is part of the problem when sub-national actors like state governments take it upon themselves to go into agreements, go into international arrangements without recourse to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, without recourse to the Federal Government and then when it goes awry, we are left with the problem to deal with.
“That is why it’s always important that such arrangements should be registered with the mission there, with the embassy, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and with the federal government. This is something that Ogun state, under a different administration, not this governor, entered into that we’re not aware of. All we know is that they’re going after Nigerian assets.
“That’s why, really, foreign or international negotiations is not the purview of sub-national actors. You should always have those that are experienced in such an area that have the necessary skills and the necessary training to negotiate these sort of agreements.
“Well, it’s in progress, we will come back to you and give you an update as and when,” he said.
