By Asuquo Cletus
The Akwa Ibom State Government has dismissed circulating reports on social media alleging that Governor Umo Eno has commenced the disbursement of N50,000 business grants to residents of the state, particularly small-scale traders.
The government described the claim as a fraudulent scheme crafted by scammers to mislead and exploit unsuspecting members of the public.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekerete Udoh, the government clarified that the false report claimed over 10,000 individuals had already benefitted from the alleged grant through a platform described as “Governor Umo Eno’s Community Development Group.”
“Our attention has been drawn to a scheme by scammers, obviously aimed at hoodwinking unsuspecting members of the public to the effect that His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, PhD, Governor, Akwa Ibom, has ‘begun the payment of N50,000 Business Grant to all individuals in Akwa Ibom State’.
“The link they provided is fake. The only authentic business grants and other empowerment schemes currently being executed by the administration are processed through the official state employment and empowerment portal: https://employment.akwaibomstate.gov.ng,” the statement read.
Udoh warned the public to disregard the misleading information and refrain from engaging with the fraudulent link in circulation.
The governor’s spokesman further urged the public to remain vigilant against online fraudsters, reiterating the state government’s commitment to transparency and due process in all its intervention programmes.
He called on residents to report suspicious links or schemes to the appropriate authorities, while urging media platforms and community leaders to help disseminate accurate information.
