The Akwa Ibom State Government has come hard on Obong Akan Udofia for allegedly claiming he conceived the idea of setting up Ibom Air.

A statement by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom SAN. said that Udofia does not own a single aircraft in the Ibom Air fleet.

Udom said the government was highly surprised at a viral online video in some WhatsApp groups in which Udofia, the sacked governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State, claimed Ibom Air was his brainchild.

According to him, Ibom Air was conceived by Governor Udom Emmanuel who worked with some consultants to make it a reality, adding that the Airline is fully owned by the Akwa Ibom state government.

The statement reads in part: “It has been brought to the notice of the office of the Attorney General that one Akan Udofia claims in a short video, circulated on WhatsApp groups and social media platforms that the idea of setting up of Ibom Air was his.

“The said Akan Udofia, we are told had in the past also claimed that some of the aircraft in the fleet of Ibom Air belonged to him.

‘It is necessary to notify the general public and Akwa Ibom state citizens in particular that Mr Akan Udofia has no proprietary interest whatsoever in any of the aircraft in the fleet of Ibom Air. All the aircraft in the fleet were acquired directly by the airline.

“The idea of Ibom Air was conceived and executed by His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel who worked with aviation consultants led by Captain Mfon Udom to birth and sustain the operations of the airline to this day. The Airline is owned 100% by Akwa Ibom State.”

The government threatened to apply appropriate sanctions against any person or group of persons laying claim to Ibom Air.

“Any claim contrary to the above is false and fraudulent and this office will not hesitate to file appropriate sanctions against the perpetrators,” Udom said in the statement.

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