Wike reveals how he discovered Rivers abandoned aircraft in Germany

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike on Monday revealed how his government, relying on intelligence reports, discovered one of the state-owned Legacy 600 aircraft that was allegedly flown to and abandoned in Germany since 2012 by the Governor Chibuike Amaechi-led administration. 

He said it was unconscionable for the Amaechi administration to have surreptitiously taken a state-owned asset to Germany and abandon it there without any documentation. 

Wike, who led a delegation of Rivers leaders to General Atomics Aerotec in Munich, Germany, where the aircraft had been abandoned for 10 years, said the state government had spent over €3 million to repair and retrieve the aircraft. 

Speaking during a meeting with the General Manager, Business Development, General Atomics Aerotec, Markus Froetschi, Governor Wike explained that his administration, in a bid to recover state assets, had through intelligence discovered that the Legacy 600 jet purchased by Dr Peter Odili’s administration was in Germany.

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He said: “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. 

“This plane was bought in 2003 by the government of Dr Peter Odili, and by 2007, he had handed over to the next government, which was my predecessor, now Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. 

“While he was in office, by 2012 this plane was brought here. Reasons we do not know.” 

Wike said there does not exist any document indicating that the state-owned aircraft was flown to Germany and abandoned for inexplicable reasons. 

“The issue is, why was there no documentation to let the incoming government know that we have this facility and we sent it to RUAG for inspection. Again, I do know from experience that inspection of such facility does not take more than six months. So, if it was brought in 2012, expectantly at least, by early 2013, the plane ought to have come back for use,” the governor added. 

He said that he had to travel to Munich, Germany with a state delegation to prove that the Legacy 600 aircraft had been discovered and about to be returned to the state government.