Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi said he was shocked to hear stories of his illness while on a recent official trip abroad.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there were insinuations, especially on social media, that the governor travelled abroad to attend to a health condition.
The situation caused palpable anxiety in some quarters of the state, with many expressing worries over the governor’s well-being.
But Nwifuru, on Thursday in Abakaliki during the 65th Independence celebration and 29th year of Ebonyi’s creation , explained that he was hale and hearty while on a foreign trip recently.
The governor said that even his father was perturbed and called him to ask whether all was still well.
He clarified that he was never ill, attributing such negative insinuations to the misrepresentation of his meekness as weakness.
“We have given people lots of privileges, but do not push a man to the wall.
“I was, however, encouraged with the fact that if you are not important, no one will talk about you,” he said.
Nwifuru counseled people, especially youths, not to take his calm, unique, but resolute disposition for granted.
“This does not mean that we cannot bite, but I don’t want us to start biting.
“When you see a man who is calm, be careful of him.
“When I recall my rough road to where I am presently, I decide to take things easy,” he said.
He reeled off his administration’s achievements since assuming office in 2023, reiterating his determination to meet all objectives in his people’s charter of needs mantra.
“Ebonyi has a lot to celebrate at 29 years and I thank our former governors and leaders of the state for keeping the state together since 1996,” he said.
Former Governors of the state, Sen. Sam Egwu and Chief Martin Elechi, in their remarks, thanked Nwifuru for effectively steering the state’s affairs in the people’s benefit.
The state All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, among other stakeholders, also congratulated the governor, while pledging their unalloyed support to his administration.
NAN reports that the governor inspected a guard of honour to mark the celebration, presented staff of offices to new traditional rulers in the state, among other engagements.
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