RIVERS STATE GOVERNOR BUYS $50 MILLION PRIVATE JET

 

                  

                                    Governor Bombardier Jet-Photo Credit: James Chevrier

  

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has acquired a brand new Bombardier Global 5000 (N565RS) for his exclusive use, Amaechi’s lavish new “toy” comes at a time hundreds of thousands of residents in his state are displaced by the worst flooding crisis in the state’s history.

The newly purchased jet left Montreal-Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Quebec to Dakar International Airport. And then it was delivered to the state government on October 7th 2012.The jet was primarily purchased from Bombardier in Canada for $45.7 million through the Bank of Utah Trustee account.

The governor was said to have rejected a plane bought by his predecessor due to the fact that it was too small and not fit for his job as governor. Last year Amaechi traded off the state’s current Embraer Legacy 600 claiming it was too expensive to maintain. There were also unconfirmed claims that the jet was struck by lightning.

The oil-rich Rivers State already owns an AW139 helicopter which it leased to Aero Contractors. The state then turned around to patronize Aero’s VIP Sikorsky S76C helicopter at a cost one critic described as “exorbitant and unjustified.”

Last year, the state government sold its Dash 8-Q200 aircraft to Cross River State for $6 million. Cross River State then leased the plane to Aero Contractors to undertake commercial flights to and from Obudu airstrip in the state.

Masquerade234 begins to ponder if buying of planes is part of good governance and how does such gesture impact on the lives of the common man.