I just read a press release where the media aide of Prof. Greg Ibe, the APGA Governorship candidate for the 2023 election was reacting to the friendly welcome home message from Professor Uche Ikonne, the incoming governor of Abia state, wherein he wished him well as he recovers from his ailment, I want to express my utter disappointment on how a kind gesture and expression of compassion towards Prof Ibe and conveyed with a good heart and with good and friendly intentions, could be misunderstood, misinterpreted and given negative interpretations.
I have also read a similar letter where other well-meaning Abians like Dr. Uche Ogah, the former minister of mines and steel development also sent him an open letter wishing him well and welcoming him home from his medical tourism and I wonder why that is not generating controversy as that of Prof. Uche Ikonne?, the problem is that there are too much hate and prejudices in our polity and nobody expects that a gubernatorial candidate will wish his competitor good health and It’s very unfortunate, but that’s where Prof. Ikonne comes different, he understands that as a potential leader he needs to change this hate narrative in Abia polity.
Let me make it clear, anybody could fall sick and can also seek medical help from anywhere because it is inevitable and beyond human control, Prof. Ikonne is a renowned practitioner in the health industry with an excellent spirit and he is aware of this fact, it is worthy of note that a leader without compassion cannot be selfless in service to his people, Prof. Ikonne has compassion and he expresses it in Politics without bitterness and that was the reason he was elated to see his friend and fellow Professor back home in better health after a medical trip and I don’t see anything wrong in wishing him well.
And to this end, I view the effort being made to politize a message conveyed with good intentions as a product of deliberate mischief on the side of Prof Ibe’s media handlers and I am surprised that Prof Ibe allowed himself to be dragged to such puerile arguments and casting blames on government.
While I may not want to go into all that was written by Prof. Ibe’s media handlers, I want to make it known that your trip was to USA and not to any other state in Nigeria, This means, it’s a national issue and not just that of Abia state, the state governor Dr. Ikpeazu and his family have never sought medical help outside the country even when he suffered a life-threatening ailment, Abia state as of today boasts of some of the best medical doctors in Nigeria and Dr. Ikpeazu has put in enough efforts and resources in upgrading our health facilities in the state and that defeats the argument that Dr. Ikpeazu has not done well in the health sector, let us just say Prof. Ibe chose to seek help overseas due to his medical condition which he does not want Abians whom he is struggling for their vote to know his medical condition.
They also claimed that Prof. Greg Ibe, is carrying out first-class medical outreach in the state and that is very deceptive given the fact that he does not even trust the medical help he claimed to be giving to Abians, if he is satisfied with the potency of the drugs and quality of medical personnel that he is deploying to treat Abians why didn’t he submit himself to those medics to treat, why rush to overseas?
Let me also use this medium to once again welcome him home and wish him a quick recovery and to also reassure him that under Prof. Ikonne’s government, he will no longer need to travel abroad for medical help for ailments as minor as a muscle pull.
Uche Aguoru
Director E-Media/Publicity
Uche Ndi Abia Campaign Organization
