August 17, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has advised the 36 state governments against entering international negotiations without the input of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, gave the advice amid a dispute between the Ogun State Government and a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co.
THEWILL had reported an ex-parte order issued by the Judicial Court of Paris on March 7 and August 12, 2024, that authorised the seizure of three presidential jets undergoing routine maintenance in France and Switzerland. The seized aircraft include a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Boeing 737 and a newly acquired Airbus A330 valued at over $100 million.
These orders were obtained by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company seeking to enforce an arbitral award of $74.5 million granted in its favour in 2021 against Ogun State.
The Minister emphasised the importance of registering international arrangements with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy and Federal Government to avoid similar issues in the future.
Pointing out the Ogun State Government’s agreement with the Chinese company, Tuggar stressed that foreign negotiations require experienced individuals with necessary skills and training, and sub-national actors should not engage in such agreements alone.
He said, “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 is 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 are 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 sorts of agreements.”
