Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has disclosed why his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi refused to hand over to him in 2015.
Amaechi, now the Minister of Transportation, was a two-term governor of Rivers State.
Speaking, Wike explained that Amaechi refused to hand over to him in 2015 due to his decision to convert the state’s aircraft and other properties to his personal possession.
Wike spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday, while explaining the circumstances around the state-owned Legacy 600 jet and Dash 8 plane recovered in Munich.
Wike said his administration recovered the state-owned Legacy 600 abandoned since 2012 by the Amaechi-led government.
The Governor explained that the Amaechi-led government refused to set up a transition committee to properly handover to his then incoming government in 2015.
He noted that this was a pointer that the Amaechi-led administration was desperate to convert State assets and property for personal use.
The Governor stressed that nothing would have been heard of the jet if Dakuku Peterside had won the 2015 governorship election in the State.
According to Wike: “The whole essence of why they took the plane to Germany was because the former governor felt that he was going to install a governor in 2015.
“If Dakuku had become governor, that was the end of the plane. That was just the whole essence, because he felt Dakuku must be governor and to the glory of God he did not become…that is why the plane is coming back latest the end of March this year.”
Wike said the last that was heard of the Dash 8 plane was when Amaechi refused selling it to a former Governor of the State, Victor Odili.
He disclosed that Odili had wanted to buy the plane for $5million.
Wike wondered who purchased the jet between Cross River State government and Odili.
“Out of that $6 million, Liyel had paid N100m as deposit. Up till now, where is the balance? Where is our Dash 8? If they sold it to Cross River State, where is the balance? Asset that ought to be documented and handed over to who is coming in,” he lamented.
