Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has alleged that his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, refused to hand over to him in 2015 because of his decision to convert Rivers State aircraft and other valuable assets to his personal possession.

Wike spoke while briefing stakeholders at the Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday on issues surrounding the Legacy 600 jet recovered in Munich, Germany by his administration.

Adducing reasons why he travelled to Munich, Germany, he said recently some Rivers indigenes went to a radio station in Port Harcourt to challenge the State government to give account of the gas turbine, helicopter, Legacy 600 jet and Dash 8 propeller aircraft purchased by the administration of former Governor Peter Odili.

He said he embarked on the journey in the company of some leaders of the state to recover the state-owned Legacy 600 abandoned there since 2012 by the Amaechi-led government.

According to him, the fact that the Amaechi-led administration refused to set up a transition committee to properly handover to the incoming government in 2015 was a pointer that they desperately wanted to convert state assets and property for personal use.

Wike said while Amaechi was governor he wrote a letter in July 2011 to the State House of Assembly seeking approval to trade on the abandoned aircraft in Germany to enable him buy the Bombardier Global Express.

But he said Amaechi bought the new aircraft but never traded on the Legacy 600 aircraft.

The governor said Amaechi was doing everything thinking he could impose his successor on Rivers that would cover-up.

He said: “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 (Peterside) 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.”

He said there was still no trace of the Dash 8 propeller aircraft purchased by the Odili administration.

He said the last time anyone heard of the Dash 8 plane was when Amaechi told the then State Executive Council that he would not sell it to Chief Victor Odili, who offered to purchase it at the cost of $5million.

He said: “Chief Victor Odili offered to buy Dash 8 at $5 million. In the Executive Council, the governor (Amaechi) said no, that he had a better offer and the better offer ($6million) is from Cross River state, when Liyel Imoke was the governor of the State and that he wanted to use it for the Obudu Ranch.

“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.”