By Emmanuel Nduka
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has informed that the state government through intelligence, discovered a state-owned Legacy 600 Aircraft which was abandoned in Germany since 2012 during the administration of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Wike who led a delegation of Rivers’ leaders to General Atomics Aerotec in Munich, Germany, where the aircraft had been abandoned, said efforts to repair and retrieve it have cost the state government over three million Euros.
He lamented that the aircraft was abandoned without any documentation, and that he had to travel to Germany with a state delegation to prove that the Legacy 600 aircraft had been discovered and is about to be returned to the state government.
Speaking during a meeting with the General Manager, Business Development, General Atomics Aerotec, Markus Froetschi, Wike said his administration, in a bid to recover state assets, had through intelligence discovered that the aircraft was purchased by the Dr. Peter Odili-led administration was in Germany.
“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.
“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,” he said.
Responding, Froetschi confirmed that the aircraft was brought to Germany by the immediate-past administration and abandoned there since 2012.
Froetschi however expressed delight that Wike took the initiative to repair and return the aircraft to Nigeria for use by the state government, adding that his company will conclude general maintenance work on the plane and deliver it to the state government later by March this year.
Also speaking, Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker, Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani who was part of the delegation, said he was elated that the aircraft had been recovered by the state government.
