Kuku Is Never A Stakeholder In Air Peace – Ijaw Group
A Niger Delta group under the aegis of Ijaw Solidarity Forum ( ISF) has described the online publication linking Kingsley Kuku to the purchase of air planes for Air Peace
Airline as false and malicious.
The group’s coordinator, Comrade Sylvester Maggi said on Tuesday during an interview that it was most unfortunate that a known fraudulent online platform, The Will had rehashed an old story with the sole aim of discrediting Kingsley Kuku. He however added that the statement issued by the solicitor of Air Peace Limited was enough for all discerning Nigerians to know that the publication was borne out of ill motive to bring the person of Kingsley Kuku to public opprobrium.
Maggi however emphasized that he was aware that Kingsley Kuku do not have any form of business relationship with the owner of Air Peace and he never had any stake in the airline. He further described the false claim as wicked story that was initially concocted and yet again procured to dent the public image of Kingsley Kuku.
“To the best of my knowledge, Kingsley Kuku do not have any business relationship with the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace let alone provide the fund to float the airline. This publication is wicked and malicious. How can someone that is not a director in a company later turn out to be a major stakeholder in such an establishment. This is an old story that is being rehashed yet again to dent the public image of Kingsley Kuku. This is most unfair, wicked and ungodly”, said Maggi.
Meanwhile, the solicitor of Air Peace had issued a statement to discountenance the online publication which claimed that Kingsley Kuku provided fund to set up the airline through a proxy. The Air Peace statements reads :
“We are Solicitors to Air Peace Limited and Chief Allen Onyema. Our Clients have just become aware of an online story published by THEWILL, claiming that Kingsley Kuku, the former special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Office, purportedly used “billions of Naira stolen from the Presidential Amnesty Programme to purchase airplanes to start Air Peace”.
“The online story, in a bid to appear credible, refers to the United States Department of Justice [“DOJ”] as the source of this “information”.
“On behalf of Our Clients, we hereby state unequivocally and for the records that the said online story is untrue, false, baseless and a rehash of old, false and untrue stories. Kingsley Kuku did not at any time purchase any airplanes for Our Client, Air Peace Limited and he is not a shareholder or Director of Air Peace Limited. Kingsley Kuku is not in any way and/or manner connected to and/or involved in the ownership and operations of Air Peace Limited”.
“Air Peace Limited was set up with legitimate funds of Our Client, Chief Allen Onyema, who has been recognized and honoured internationally and locally for his work in promoting peace and ethnic harmony in Nigeria and with banking facilities obtained from banks. This false, untrue and baseless online story is a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image and legacy of Our Clients. There is no iota of truth in the said story and same should be ignored and disregarded,” the statement concluded.