By: Felix Ikpotor
A former Chief of Staff to Government of Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha has exonerated himself from any decision by former governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to sell off the Legacy 600 Aircraft purchased by the Peter Odili administration.
Okocha who replaced Barrister Nyesom Wike now Governor of Rivers State as chief of staff in 2012 said he was not privy to any information regarding the sale of the jet.
His response was in reaction to statements credited to the governor and former transport commissioner in the state, George Tolofari on the discovery of the jet.
Wike, who made the revelation about the discovery of the jet had said it was unconscionable for the immediate past administration to have surreptitiously taken a state-owned asset to Germany and abandoned same there, without any documentation with Tolofari countering same in a statement.
Okocha said in a statement, “To my surprise, while in the company of His Excellency, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to the Airport on a fateful day, as I was wont to do, I discovered that the Legacy 600 Aircraft, wasn’t at its usual parking space.
“I immediately invited the Head Pilot, who had become an assistant to Captain Tosin on the new Bombardier and queried the whereabout of the Legacy 600 Aircraft.
He professed ignorance of the whereabout of the Aircraft.
“Same was Captain Tosin whose account was half-baked. Dissatisfied with the accounts, I did a memo to the Governor, capturing my bewilderment and utter surprise for the disappearance of the Aircraft. That Memo may have been treated but never minuted back to me.”
He noted that he attended all State Executive Council meetings as Chief of Staff, saying there was no time that the cabinet decided to fly the aircraft abroad for whatever reason.
“I was in Cabinet between 2012/2015 as Chief of Staff, Government House. I attended All Executive Council Meetings.
“I never was privy to Exco decision to sell off the Legacy 600 Aircraft or exchange it for a better/superior model”, Okocha explained
Okocha stressed that responsibility for the supervision of the aircrafts belonging to the Rivers fleet was placed under the office of the Chief of Staff.
He explained that until he assumed office, that responsibility was domiciled in the Ministry of Transport.
“On assumption of office as Chief of staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, ipso facto, responsible for the daily affairs of the Government House, including, inter alia, the management/travels of my Principal ( Governor), I applied for and got approval for the running of the Government Aircraft (Legacy 600 brand) which expectedly, ought and was at the disposal of the Governor and/or his assignee.
“Consequent upon this, the aircraft hitherto managed by the Ministry of Transport, Rivers State, was surrendered and domiciled in the office of the Chief of Staff, Government House, Rivers State.”
He said he was bewildered when in company of the Governor, he discovered that the jet had vanished.
Okocha added: “The disappearance of the Aircraft was uncovered and officially communicated to my boss with no feedback, of course, the buck in decision-making in g”overnment, doesn’t stop on my table.
He said he got no feedback from his principal after he did the memo.
