The governorship candidate of APGA in Abia State, Prof. Gregory Ibe has taken a swipe at his opponent, the PDP’s Prof. Uche Ikonne, accusing of playing politics with his medical trip abroad.

Prof. Ibe had recently returned from an overseas medical trip after a surgery following a muscle tear on his leg and subsequently.

Prof Gregory Ibe’s Media Associates in a statement at the weekend accused Ikonne of playing politics with their principal’s health, accusing him of subtly deploying craft in casting aspersions and opprobrium on his health status.

“We consider as unfortunate the resort to the unacceptable politics of stigmatization rather than promotion of issues that will engender faster development of Abia State,” the statement read in part.

The statement clarifies, “That by the grace of God Prof Gregory Ibe is in perfect health both mentally and physically.

“That Prof Ibe is a weightlifter who in his youthful days represented the old Imo state in sports fiestas.

“That recently he accidentally suffered a muscle tear on his leg and subsequently had to undergo surgery abroad.

“That the surgical procedure was successful sequel upon which he obtained a comprehensive clean bill of health.

“That the medical trip didn’t however prevent him from still executing his several high demanding functions, including but not limited to, Managing Director cum CEO of Skill G Ltd, Chancellor of Gregory University Uturu, Sole Sponsor of Prof Gregory Ibe Free Medical and Surgical Outreach, through which 12,072 Abians were recently treated of all kinds of diseases, 5863 received eye glasses while 643 were booked for different kinds of surgery at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, all under the sponsorship of Prof Ibe.”

The statement says Prof Ibe decided to expand his annual medical outreach to cover the 17 LGAs in 2022 because Dr Ikpeazu performed abysmally in the health sector leading to the woeful collapse of existing primary,secondary and tertiary medical infrastructure in the state, including Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), which Prof. Ikonne as Vice Chancellor contributed to substantially.

It added, “That it is uncomplimentary for Prof Ikonne to attempt to deride the health status of a man who personally elected to take away shame from the face of his PDP government by offering qualitative free medical intervention to the very people he is yet promising to take care of in future, which include his kinsmen from Agburuike clan, hometown of the PDP gubernatorial candidate.

“That in a bid to ridicule Prof Ibe the press statement misfired by inadvertently confirming the apparent inability of the present PDP government under Dr Ikpeazu to provide quality health services to Abians thereby compelling them to embark on medical tourism within and outside Nigeria.

“That Prof Ikonne should adhere to the biblical counsel of deploying efforts in first removing the log in his own eye before attempting to take away the speck from others.”