Reactions As Governor Wike Recovers Rivers State Owned Aircraft From Germany (Photos)

The Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has been applauded following the recovery and eventual return of the state owned asset, Legacy 600 aircraft, from Germany.

The Nigerian Voice gathered that the Legacy 600 aircraft landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the State on Tuesday afternoon.

The state owned aircraft was said to have been recovered after being secretly abandoned in Germany by the immediate past administration in the state.

While speaking at reception of the aircraft, Governor Wike explained that it took an intelligence report for his administration to discover such an asset, owned by the Rivers State government.

Wike further stated that the immediate past administration flew the aircraft to far away Germany, without any record of it made available to his administration.

“To the glory of God, the plane is back and Rivers people can see. Nigerians can see. It is not that we are playing politics.

“All we are saying is that we never knew. Nobody told us until we got intelligence that we have this asset somewhere,” he said.

Wike explained that the Legacy 600 Aircraft was purchased by the Dr. Peter Odili’s led administration to serve the interest of Rivers people, but was abandoned with the General Atomics Aerotec in Munich, Germany by the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Ameachi’s administration since 2012.

“What is very important to all of us here today is that when we came into power in 2015, nobody handed over any report or gave us a handover note to let us know where such an asset of the state was, only for us to hear in 2019 that this asset is somewhere,” Wike stated.

Recounting how so much money was spent by the state government to get the aircraft back to the state, the governor said such money would have been put into other development projects if his administration had known of it quite early.

He said fixing the aircraft, a certificate of airworthiness certificate, issued by the Nigerian government, was secured for the aircraft to return to Nigeria.

According to him, “Of course, we did everything we could do and we told Nigerians that by the grace of God, we will not allow this asset to go that way.

“We must return it for the people of the State to decide what they are going to do with it. I am so elated that at the end of the day, all of our struggles are not in vain.

“I thank Rivers people for the support. I thank the Rivers State House of Assembly for the support. I thank the Executive for the support.

“But for their support, it would not have been possible to spend the money we spent. If you hear the money we spent, its money that would have been put in other development projects if we were told on time.”

In reaction to the development, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon.Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani, expressed delight that after ten years, the Rivers State government has successfully recovered the aircraft.

He said the State government will decide how the asset will be used in furtherance of the state’s development.

Also, Senator Barry Mpigi representing Rivers South-East District in the Senate, hailed the governor for his tenacity to defend the interest of the State.

He added that the recovered aircraft is additional asset to the government and people of Rivers State.

Similarly, the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council Chairman, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja, said governor Wike has once again demonstrated his zeal to protect the interest of the State.

The King lauded the governor for not allowing the State property to get lost in Europe and unaccounted for.

The former Presidents of the Nigerian Bar Association, Onueze C. Okocha, SAN and Okey Wali, SAN also said the State governor has proven his determination to defend the interest of the State.