August 16, (THEWILL) – Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 General election, Peter Obi, has described as international embarrassment, the seizure of three Presidential Jets by the French Court.
THEWILL had reported an ex parte orders issued by the Judicial Court of Paris on March 7 and August 12, 2024, that authorised the seizure of the 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 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.
Reacting to the incident, Obi frowned at the secrecy involved in both buying and selling of Presidential jets, a property of the Nigerian people.
Writing on his X handle, Obi said, “The trending international news on the seizure of three Jets belonging to Nigeria’s Presidential fleet is yet another of many embarrassing things exposing our failed leadership and our attitude to the rule of law even in a democracy.
“It has also thrown multiple dimensions to our leadership failure and our sensitivity to the plight of the growing poor class in our midst.
“The fact that the federal government went ahead despite the cacophonous cry against the purchase of a Presidential jet at this time when the people are going through a horrifying economic hardship shows the insensitivity of this administration.
“And added to it is the embarrassing aspect of our country’s Presidential jets being held for breaches arising for yet another dimension of inadequate leadership.
“I have been loud in my demands over time that the government at all levels should be accountable to the people, meaning that they must be very transparent in all their dealings.
“Until a court in France prohibited Nigeria from moving or selling these three jets, Nigerians had no iota of information about both buying and selling. It has been done in secrecy. Federal Government property, which belongs to the people, is being managed as a personal family asset.
“Paying as much as $100m dollars for a Presidential jet for a country that is the poverty capital of the World and has more out-of-school children with over 40% food inflation is the height of concern for the people’s feelings.
“This incident has also opened up an aspect of indiscipline that is copiously embedded in our country which is the abuse and disrespect for the rule of law. Here are questions begging for answers.
“To what extent did the Ogun state government follow its agreement with the Chinese firm?
“After the UK court ruling that prohibited some Nigeria building in Liverpool, what did both Ogun state and Federal government do before the French court?
“I would like to, therefore, challenge the federal government to come clean and transparent on this matter and tell Nigerians how we got to this international mess.”
