The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has emphasized the need for states and other sub-national entities to avoid engaging in international negotiations independently.
He advised that state governors should involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Federal Government in such matters.
This statement comes in light of ongoing efforts to address a dispute involving a Chinese company, which has resulted in the seizure of three Nigerian government jets by a French court.
The court granted Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment permission to use these jets at the Paris-Le Bourget and Basel-Mulhouse international airports as collateral for a financial claim amounting to EUR 74,459,221.
Ambassador Tuggar highlighted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General’s office are actively working to resolve the issue both diplomatically and legally.
He pointed out that problems often arise when state governments enter into international agreements without proper consultation with the federal authorities, leading to complications that the central government must then resolve.
The specific case mentioned involved an agreement made by Ogun State under a previous administration, which was unknown to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As a result, Nigerian assets are now being targeted.
The minister said that international negotiations should be handled by those with the necessary expertise and experience, rather than by sub-national entities acting independently.
“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.”
