Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized the Nigerian government following the international seizure of three jets from the Presidential fleet.
In a statement via X on Thursday, Obi described the incident as an international embarrassment and condemned the federal government’s handling of the situation, emphasizing its broader implications.
“The international news about the seizure of three jets from Nigeria’s Presidential fleet is just another embarrassment that exposes our leadership failures and disregard for the rule of law, even in a democracy,” Obi said.
He argued that the incident highlights the depth of leadership failures in Nigeria and reflects insensitivity to the economic hardships faced by the citizens.
The jets were seized by a French court due to a contract dispute between the Ogun State Government and the Chinese company Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited.
A previous report state that the dispute originated from a 2007 agreement to develop a free trade zone, which eventually collapsed, leading to arbitration and the seizure of the jets. Although an independent tribunal awarded Zhongshan around $74.5 million, the Ogun State Government disputed the ruling and has yet to comply.
Obi criticized the federal government for purchasing a Presidential jet during a period of severe economic hardship for the country.
“Spending as much as $100 million on a Presidential jet in a country known as the poverty capital of the world, with a high rate of out-of-school children and over 40% food inflation, is the height of disregard for the people’s struggles,” he stated.
He also questioned the lack of transparency in the purchase and management of the jets, saying, “Nigerians have no information about the buying or selling of these aircraft. Everything has been done in secrecy.”
In response to the court’s decision, the Ogun State Government condemned the action as unfair and vowed to challenge the order.
Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, called the judicial action “a new tactic by the Chinese company to seize Nigerian assets abroad,” accusing Zhongshan of misleading the Paris court about the nature of the seized assets.
The Presidency also dismissed the court’s order as fraudulent.
In a statement, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated, “The Federal Government is not under any contractual obligation with the company.”
He accused Zhongshan of using “unorthodox means to seize our offshore assets” and emphasized that the dispute is between the company and the Ogun State Government.
Obi urged the federal government to be transparent and accountable, stating, “I challenge the federal government to come clean on this issue and explain to Nigerians how we ended up in this latest international debacle.”
