2023 Elections : Gov Emmanuel Fumes Over Rumours Of Witch-hunting Guber Candidates
…As Ibom Air takes delivery of two Airbus A320 Aircrafts
The Evangelist
November 22, 2022
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has dispelled allegations linking him with the legal travails of some governorship candidates of opposition political parties in the State.
The Economic And Financial Crimes Commission , EFCC, is currently prosecuting the Governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party, Senator Bassey Albert for graft and judgement is being expected few days from now.
Reacting to speculations that the embattled senator is being witch haunted, Governor Emmanuel said that he knows nothing about the corruption case as the anti craft agency is doing it vested duties.
At the launching of two new Airbus-A320Aircraft to boost the fleet of the state owned Airline, Ibom Air, at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo., the Governor urged the blackmailers to face their cases and sort out themselves, emphasising that he came for governance and would focus on bringing dividends and benefits to his people.
Governor Emmanuel said he has received calls lately from friends and associates on the insinuations that he is trying to jail a governorship candidate but said that he is not a Judge and knows nothing about the facts of the matter being investigated as the trial precedes his assumption of office he assumed office as Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
“ I’m reading on the internet, some candidates of some parties are saying that the Governor want to imprison them.
“It is total lies because I’m not that type of a governor. I don’t even know the facts of the cases they have with EFCC.
“These are cases that started even before I became the Governor. Let people stop blackmail and face their lives. People are just out to blackmail people.
“I entered Abuja everybody was calling me saying this candidate say you want to imprison him.
“This matter came even before I became the Governor, I don’t know the fact of the case, I’m not a Judge, I don’t know anything. These people have cases with EFCC, let them go and sort out their cases and just leave blackmail and propaganda.
“We came here to govern we have an account, we’re servants of God Let that propaganda stop. Enough of that.
Governor Emmanuel thanked God for the progress and the management of Ibom Air for sustaining the state’s pride as a sub-national operating Nigeria’s flight of delight.
The governor described the acquisition of the new Airbuses as a timely and appropriate response to the business environment, given the anticipated demands of the coming season.
He attributed his administration’s achievements in the aviation industry and other areas of development to the support of God Almighty, coupled with his team’s capacity to think, creativity and ideas.
“Today, we are receiving into our fleet, brand new huge white birds decorated with the name Ibom Air. We respond to the business environment we are operating and as we respond we are bound to succeed.
“So today we respond to the demands of the season we’re about to enter”, he stated.
“This MRO you’re seeing here can take two Boeing 747-800 series aircrafts and eight CRJs at the same time.
“But today, with the support of God Almighty, with our capacity to think, creativity and ideas, we are building MRO with naira that does not have value in the market, he added.
According to him the MRO will serve as a cash cow for Akwa Ibom State overtime as it will start spinning hard currency earnings from January 2023, adding that Airbus is currently negotiating for lease of the facility to take care of its regional flights.
“We’re going to open up this place (MRO) by January next year for commercial activities. Akwa Ibom will be earning dollars from here from next year, not naira”, he announced.
The new airbuses were inaugurated by Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State who commended Mr Emmanuel for his economic programmes and projects in the State.
