Imo State Government has revealed that one of its critics has begun moves to reach Gov Hope Uzodimma with a view to striking a deal to stop the verbal attacks on the administration.
According to the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon Declan Emelumba, the critic, Dr Fabian Ihekweme has made contacts with friends of the Governor, offering to ” cease fire” If he is offered the whopping sum of Five Hundred million Naira( N500m).
In a statement he issued Thursday, Emelumba noted that the demand from Ihekweme has vindicated the government’s earlier position that the former Commissioner for International Affairs is neither fighting for the public nor is he motivated by morality.
” When we described him as an extortionist and blackmailer, the public thought we were too hard on him, but now it is clear that frustration and hunger are his sole motivation for his unwarranted and unsubstantiated allegations against the Governor “
Emelumba disclosed that many friends of the governor and government officials have been reached by Ihekweme, asking that he be settled with N500m as a condition to stop his baseless attacks on the governor in the media.
Said he, ” We can confirm that Fabian Ihekweme has reached out to several people, including some government officials asking them to convince the governor to release N500m to him so as to stop the baseless attacks on Uzodimma. One of such persons he reached is a Lagos based businessman whom he spoke on the phone with on Wednesday and later sent his Opay account number for his ticket to Lagos to seal the deal. We have records of similar conversations, “Emelumba disclosed.
The Commissioner described as unfortunate the activities of Ihekweme who was offered an opportunity to serve as a commissioner but failed woefully on the job.
He said the most painful aspect of the whole saga is that Ihekweme case files in the police where he was indicted for stealing government’s property were still open.
On whether the government will consider buying the silence of Ihekweme as he is demanding, Emelumba said he should perish the thought as Uzodimma has nothing to hide.
” Never shall we condescend that low to even negotiate with a traitor and blackmailer not to talk of settling him. I just pity some gullible members of the society who have time to read the rubbish he churns out, “he said.
The commissioner insisted that the governor would never be distracted by the antics of one man who had already betrayed the trust of Imo people by selling government property.