Nigeria, March 19 -- The Akwa Ibom State Government has denied reports that it plans to sell Ibom Power Company.

The government says the administration of Governor Umo Eno is instead focused on repaying legacy debts and repositioning the firm through power sector reforms.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, described a publication by an Uyo-based newspaper, alleging that the government plans to sell the company as "false, malicious and wholly unfounded."

Ibom Power Company, a state-owned independent power producer, was established by the Akwa Ibom State Government to boost electricity generation and support industrial growth in the state.

The company operates a gas-fired power plant an...