The Rivers Youth Front (RYF) has commended the State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for recovering a Legacy 600 aircraft belonging to the state from Germany.
In a statement signed by the group’s Public Relations Officer, Johnbull Ted, RYF berated some cabinet members of the former state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, over their “contradicting statements” on the recovery of the aircraft.
The statement read: RYF commend our indefatigable Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for taking the bold step to recover the Rivers State Government-owned Legacy 600 aircraft which was surreptitiously smuggled out of the State to Germany by the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi led administration in 2012.
We observe with disappointment that contradicting statements coming from some members of the Amaechi’s cabinet then, regarding the intent and purpose of taking the aircraft to Germany, are pointers to the fact that there is definitely more than meets the eye concerning the intentions of Amaechi and his co-travellers.
For instance, in their efforts to exonerate their principal, the then Commissioner of Transport, George Tolofari, claimed that information about the Legacy 600 aircraft was captured in the handover note he probably prepared for himself because he cannot feign ignorance of the fact that the Amaechi’s administration never intended and indeed has not presented any official handover note to Governor Nyesom Wike till date.
Tolofari’s claim is also countered by the revelation of another former Commissioner, Barrister Wogu Boms who also served under the Amaechi’s administration, that there was no handover note because they were confident of winning the governorship election matter in the court, but to their disappointment, Governor Nyesom Wike floored their candidate, Dakuku Peterside at the Supreme Court.
It, therefore, amounts to outright embarrassment to Rivers people for George Tolofari with his supposed pedigree to present such a concocted story full of deliberate lies to the people simply because he is labouring to launder the already stinking image of his principal.
On the other hand, another member of Amaechi’s cabinet and Commissioner for Agriculture, Emma Chinda tried in vain to sell other fabricated lies claimed that the Legacy 600 aircraft had “full documentation” before the administration allowed it to move out to Germany for maintenance in 2012, and kept there for three solid years without stating the cost of maintenance and how much was paid before the plane was taken to Germany.
In the midst of this brouhaha, Chief Tony Okocha, former Chief of Staff to Governor Amaechi, from 2012 to 2015 has come out to the public to present his own side of the story on the movement of the Legacy 600 aircraft.
In a statement titled “Re: Recovery of Rivers State Government-owned Legacy 600 Aircraft,” Chief Tony Okocha averred that on an assumption of office as Chief of staff, he applied for and got approval for the running of the aircraft.
Consequent upon this, the aircraft hitherto managed by the Ministry of Transport, Rivers State, was surrendered and domiciled in the office of the Chief of Staff. “To my surprise, while on the company of His Excellency, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to the Airport on a fateful day, as I was wont to do, I discovered that the Legacy 600 Aircraft, wasn’t at its usual parking space,” he said.
Fortunately, however, this piece of information which by any consideration, appears more accurate account concerning the controversy surrounding the journey of Legacy 600 to Germany, has remained in the public space without contradiction or refutal by the Amaechi camp. And this account clearly attempts to corroborate the statement of Governor Wike that it was unconscionable for the Amaechi led-administration to have surreptitiously taken a State-owned asset to Germany and abandon the same there, without any documentation.
We also recall that prior to the sudden disappearance of the aircraft that was later traced to Germany, Amaechi had sent a note to the then Rivers State House of Assembly requesting approval for the sale of the aircraft and the proceeds to be used to purchase a new one.
Governor Wike, who led a delegation of Rivers leaders to General Atomics Aerotec in Munich, Germany, where the aircraft had been abandoned over the years, explained at a meeting with the General Manager, Business Development, General Atomics Aerotec, Markus Froetschi, that his administration in a bid to recover State assets, had through intelligence discovered that the Legacy 600 jet purchased by the Dr Peter Odili’s administration was in Germany.
Rivers abandoned aircraft: “Wike did not lie”
“When we came into office in 2015, we never had an idea that our plane was in your facility. It was a matter of asking questions before we got the information that Legacy 600 belonging to our State is in RUAG, before General Atomics. We tried to make contact with you and which you obliged. So, we want to sincerely thank you for not hiding anything from us, because it is the property of the State government,” he said.
From the foregoing, it is clear that the immediate past administration of Chibuike Amaechi owes Rivers people an explanation as to the intention and purpose behind the smuggling of Legacy 600 to Germany because even the General Manager, Business Development of General Atomics Aerotec, Markus Froetschi, told the State delegates led by Governor, Nyesom Wike that the aircraft was brought to Germany by the immediate past administration and abandoned since 2012.
We are surprised that the aircraft had been abandoned in faraway Germany for several years. Their intention we cannot say for such, but it shows administrative recklessness, and worst of all, there is no proper documentation to show that they meant well for Rivers people.
Considering the brazen manner in which the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi’s administration sold state valuable assets to their cronies, it was obvious that the Legacy 600 may have been surreptitiously flown to Germany to be converted to personal use.
We, therefore, commend Governor Wike for taking the bold initiative to recover, repair and return the aircraft to Nigeria. We have no doubt that since he ascended the office as Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has demonstrated tremendous love and commitment to take our dear State to a very high pedestal of infrastructural development. Indeed Governor Wike means well for Rivers people.
We join the well-meaning people of Rivers State to condemn the shameful desperation displayed by Amaechi and his cohorts to cover up their ill-motivated and impoverishing activities such as this, the diversion of proceeds from the sales of some State assets including the Gas Turbines among others which, but for the pragmatic leadership of Governor Nyesom Wike, would have visited untold hardship on Rivers people.
Rather than shortchange Rivers people, Governor Wike has within this period in office greatly improved the revenue base of the State and made huge investments in massive infrastructural development that has boosted the economy of Rivers State. We applaud his prudence in the management of resources for maximum gain.
We urge Governor Wike not to relent in his effort to recover all government assets and property made away with by the immediate past administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
It is worthy of commendation that Governor Wike has shown commitment to ensuring that Rivers people maximise opportunities of democratic governance by embarking on massive infrastructural development in virtually every sector of the State’s economy.
