A former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has clarified the controver­sy between the Ogun State gov­ernment and a Chinese firm that secured a court order to confis­cate three Nigerian presidential jets in France.

Amosun, in a statement per­sonally signed by him on Sat­urday, said that Nigeria should not give Zhongfu International Investment FXE any listening ear as doing so would amount to indulging and encouraging an unlawful entity without locus standi to appropriate Nigerians’ common patrimony.

He stated that Zhongfu Inter­national Investment FXE should be treated the way Nigeria treated the P&ID case, saying there was no basis for negotiation.

Part of the statement read: “We have read various media accounts of the above in both the print and social media. We have also read and aligned with the very appropriate responses from Ogun State and the Federal Government.

“At different levels, govern­ment is a continuum and the various segments of events lead­ing to this unfortunate situation occurred before, during and after our administration.

“Our administration assumed office on 29 May, 2011. Very short­ly after we took office, two differ­ent sets of Chinese companies, Messrs China Africa Investment FXE and Zhongfu International Investment FXE, laid claims to the Management rights over the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ).

“The business dispute and rivalry between the Chinese con­cerns soon became fierce, ground­ed seamless business activities and threatened public peace and safety within the Zone and neigh­boring communities.

“There were claims and count­er claims as to who between the two was the lawful representa­tive of the original joint ventur­er, Guangdong Province, China, and consequentially who had the right to manage the Zone.

“Zhongfu International Invest­ment FXE, pretending to be a con­cerned and genuine tenant and Zone stakeholder volunteered very damaging and destructive information about the official representatives of Guangdong Province, the Joint Venturer and lawful Zone Managers, China Af­rica Investment FXE, and subse­quently requested to be appointed as Interim Zone Managers.

“Based on the information at the disposal of the government at the time, Zhongfu Interna­tional Investment FXE was on 15/03/2012 appointed as Interim Zone Manager pending further evaluation.

“The whole idea was to ensure that someone was in charge and thereby prevent unwholesome and untoward development in the Zone pending the completion of our fact finding exercise.

“It was later discovered that the information and claims vol­unteered by Zhongfu Internation­al Investment FXE against China Africa Investment FXE were tis­sues of lies.

“Unknown to Ogun Govern­ment at the time, Zhongfu Inter­national Investment FXE merely sought to de-market China Africa Investment FXE and to surrepti­tiously covert the state-owned assets of Guangdong Province in China together with the Zone ownership and management rights of their business rival.

“It was further discovered – much later – through the inter­vention of the Chinese Govern­ment via Diplomatic Note 1601, dated 11 March, 2016.

“The Government of the Peo­ple’s Republic of China, via its Diplomatic Note 1601 dated 11th March, 2016, clarified to the Ogun State government that China Africa Investment FXE was the rightful investor.

“After due consultation with the relevant organs of gov­ernment, we gave effect to the request of the Chinese Govern­ment.

“We do recall that Zhongfu International Investment FXE approached Nigerian courts in different jurisdictions to venti­late its legal and business rights. They lost all their four cases in court.

“We also consulted with and took advice from the State Secu­rity Services and the supervising Agency, NEPZA, on the best way to proceed.

“Accordingly, we served Zhongfu International Invest­ment FXE with a formal Termi­nation Notice dated 27 May, 2016.

“For completeness of records, we must mention that Zhongfu International Investment FXE proceeded to Court.

“Among others, the proceed­ings in Suit No HCT/417/2016: Zhongfu International Invest­ment FXE Vs OGFTZ and, FCT/ ABJ/CS/601/2016: Zhongfu In­ternational Investment FXE Vs NEPZA & Ors will help to throw light on this business dispute between two Chinese entities – Zhongfu and China Africa.

“The final judgement in one other case, Suit No AB/04/2017: Zenith Global Merchant In­ternational Investment Ltd Vs Zhongfu International In­vestment FXE, delivered on 29/3/2017, specifically restrained a reference to arbitration in the special circumstances of the matter being a trade dispute between two Chinese entities – Zhongfu and China Africa, with little or no connection with ei­ther Ogun State or the Federal Government.

“Not satisfied with the de­cisions of the various courts, Zhongfu International Invest­ment FXE took its case, and wrote petitions at various times, to higher authorities in Abuja; the Presidency, Hon Minister of Trade & Investment; Attorney General & Minister of Justice, In­spector General of Police, EFCC and the National Assembly (both the House of Representatives and the Senate), among others.

“We successfully defended our actions at all levels before these organs of government, and they all agreed with our position. Shortly after, our administration left office in May, 2019.

“In conclusion, without preju­dice to the ongoing efforts of the Ogun State government and the Federal Government of Nigeria, and with all sense of responsibil­ity, I wish to categorically state that:

“The agreement that was entered into at inception of the Zone in 2007 with our predeces­sor is what is still in operation and there was no need for any negotiation or re-negotiation of any contract when we came in and throughout our eight (8) years tenure.

“It is also not true that our ad­ministration sent police or any security agent to harass, intimi­date, or beat anyone. If there was any such situation, it must have been from among the disputing rivals in the bid to outdo one another. Security agencies can further investigate the allegation and uphold the truth.”

On the way forward, the for­mer governor said: “Nigeria should not give Zhongfu Inter­national Investment FXE any listening ear as doing so would amount to indulging and encour­aging an unlawful entity without locus standi to appropriate our common patrimony.

“Stemming from the above, this matter of Zhongfu Interna­tional Investment FXE should be treated the way Nigeria treated the P&ID case. There is no basis for negotiation.

“I am ready to work with the agencies of government in any capacity to ensure that Nigeria is not scammed by Zhongfu In­ternational Investment FXE, or any other entity.

“Like every Nigerian, we are concerned that a purely business dispute between two Chinese nationals and corporations have now degenerated into an unlaw­ful attempt to appropriate Nige­ria’s sovereign assets.”