Within one year of his promotion, Air Vice Marshal Mfon U Ekpoh, a two-star General with the Nigeria Air Force, is dead.
Until his death, Ekpoh who was the Managing Director of Nigeria Air Force Properties Ltd is said to have died in Israel where he went for treatment.
Ekpoh from Ikot Mbong in Awa clan of Onna Local Government Area was promoted to the rank in November 2020.
AVM Ekpoh was a 1983 alumnus of Federal Government College, Kano and marked his birthday on October 29, 2021.
He was a graduate of Nigeria Defence Academy, which is a military university training officer cadets for commissioning into one of the three services of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
The deceased was the seventh Akwa Ibom indigene to be decorated as a two-star General of the Nigerian Air Force since 1962.
Confirming the demise, Inibehe Ekpoh, the elder sibling of the late officer of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF), AVM Mfon Ekpoh, has mourned the exit of the military officer describing him as “a backbone.”
In a Facebook post, Inibehe while mourning the demise of his younger sibling said: “I have lost a backbone.”
A kinsman from Onna, Mr. Aniefiok Macaulay in his Facebook post penned ‘’We will forever miss you, you were friendly, gentle, unassuming and ever smiling. Adieu our beloved AVM!’’
Recall that in November 2020, Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel had described the elevation of Mfon Ekpoh, to the rank of Air Vice-Marshal as a reward for diligence in service to God, the nation and humanity.
The Governor spoke at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Region 14 Headquarters, Edet Akpan Avenue, Uyo during a thanksgiving service lauded Ekpoh’s timeliness in convening the thanksgiving service.
He described it as a true expression of gratitude and particularly thanked God for choosing to make the elevation happen in a seemingly exigent and thorny year 2020, saying the elevation is succour to the state.
“It doesn’t matter whether it was delayed or not. When we pray for something God knows when to give it to us and he decided that it should be 2020. We had better and more exciting years, but God chose to make it happen in this year of Coronavirus and all kinds of things. It means the year is not completely bad. The promotion comes from God. I believe in your own case God wanted to take the glory,” he stated.
The celebrator, AVM Ekpoh narrated the ordeal of his ill health having been placed on oxygen for two days, saying that God did not just heal and brought him back to life but blessed him with promotion.
He declared that only God deserve the glory for his life and recent attainment and prayed for God’s blessing on the Governor and his entourage, military officers and all that came to join him in the thanksgiving.
