As Rivers State Governor, Nyeson Wike, continues to accuse his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, of secretly taking and abandoning its aircraft in Germany while in office, one of Amaechi’s aide has opened up on how the plane got out.
Amaechi’s then Commissioner of Transport in River State, Mr Tolofari George, said the plane was officially taken out for maintenance, with proper documentation.
Saying Wike was lying, he noted in a statement on Wednesday:
“Once again, in his characteristic mischievous style, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has sought to malign and attack his predecessor and erstwhile benefactor, the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi by making false allegations.
“This time the governor claims that his predecessor secretly abandoned an aircraft belonging to the Rivers State Government in Germany.
“The lie in the Rivers State Government rant is so obvious. It is simply not possible that a plane that was properly documented in the handover notes of the state ministry of transport (which I supervised as Commissioner) to the incoming administration in 2015 can be said to be secretly abandoned? How?
“When we got the new aircraft that the current government is using now, the older Legacy aircraft was sent to Germany for repairs and refurbishment and then to be sold to generate revenue for critical infrastructural projects in the state. To the Previous administration, there was no economic sense to keep and maintain two State planes. The cost was just too prohibitive, so the plan was to sell off the older Legacy plane.”
George added that the plane was still in Germany at the time Amaechi handed over to Wike.
“In 2015 when the new administration took over, they claimed the same aircraft had been stolen. Today, they are now saying again that the aircraft was secretly abandoned.
“We can now all see that the issue is purely political and vindictive, hurling false allegations on the previous administration. That the Legacy aircraft was in RUAG, Germany was written in my handover note that is in the custody of the Rivers State Government.
