“Imo Government’s Allegation Against Me Dumb” –  Dr. Ihekweme

By Charles Igbo

A former Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Imo State, Dr Fabian Ihekweme, has dismissed an allegation of extortion made against him by the Government as dumb.

Ihekweme, a two time Commissioner in the first term of Governor Uzodinma’s Government, suddenly turned a bitter political enemy since the Governor’s second term. He was not reappointed.

In the past two weeks, he has been in the forefront of a vicious attack Governor Uzodinma’s Government, a Government he was once part of.

A number of Uzodinma’s loyalists also took to the Social Media, Ihekweme’s preferred mode of communication, to attack him as well as set the record straight.

Not left out is the All Progressives Congress, APC, Okigwe Zone – Ihekweme’s Zone – where stakeholders, including National  and State Assembly Members have denounced his activities.

The strongest response to his attacks on Governor Uzodimma, however, came from the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon Declan Emelumba which made the rounds on Thursday.

In the statement, Emelumba   alleged that Dr. Ihekweme has, in the past few days, been asking Uzodimma to give him a whopping sum of N500 millions in order to stop him from attacking the Governor.

While claiming to have recorded evidence of/from those Dr Ihekweme had spoken to in a bid to reach the Governor, Emelumba provided no names or contacts of such people, but said it was proof that Ihekweme is on an extortion  mission.

However, in a swift reaction,  Ihekweme dismissed Emelumba’s outing as “the dumbest allegation a Government can level against any citizen. On the contrary, Ihekweme claimed, it was the Government which has been making overtures to him to name his price. His response to such overtures, he claims is he /”is fighting for his people Ndimo.”

Ihekweme, also, went personal and presented Emelumba as one reaping from where he did not sow. He claimed that Emelumba never was part of Uzodinma’s campaign into office.

Following is Ihekweme’s response which trended on WhatsApp on Thursday.

“First of all, this is the dumbest allegation a government can level against any citizen.

“If I had made such request, they wouldn’t have made it public.

“Infact, and on the contrary, they have been asking me to mention my price and I have been telling them that I want the Governor to come back home and provide leadership. That’s all.

“That (invective withheld by us) called Declan Emelumba has run out of ideas. I will expose all of them.

“This is the maggot who said in 2018 that Sen. Hope Uzodinma was not fit to be a Governor. Let him deny this and watch him die.

“Has anybody seen Emelumba in any campaign rally for Hope Uzodinma? But today, he is reaping where he didn’t sow.

“I have never asked anybody for a dime and I will NEVER. I am fighting for my people, Ndimo”

However, not a few people have punctured Dr. Ihekweme’s claims. First, they say Governor Uzodimma would be the last person to offer money to Ihekweme as such criticisms neither shake, nor touch him. And, as for Emelumba reaping where he did not sow, they dismissed Ihekweme’s claims as laughable. For, as they pointed out, Emelumba has been a constant in/on/at all of Uzodimma’s political sojourn – and till date, has never shifted.

The last has not been heard, say many, of this unfortunate altercation between Ihekweme and his now estranged political benefactor.