The Imo State Government has alleged that a prominent critic of Governor Hope Uzodimma has initiated attempts to negotiate with the governor in exchange for halting his public attacks on the administration.
According to the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, the critic recently reached out to some of the governor’s associates, proposing to “cease fire” if he was paid an undisclosed amount.
In a statement released on Thursday, Emelumba remarked that the critic’s demands confirm the government’s previous assertion that his motives are not grounded in public interest or morality.
“When we described him as an extortionist and blackmailer, the public thought we were too hard on him,” Emelumba stated. “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 the critic had contacted multiple friends of the governor, as well as government officials, asking for financial settlement in exchange for stopping his media attacks on Governor Uzodimma.
“We can confirm that he has reached out to several people, including some government officials, asking them to convince the governor to release some money to him to stop the baseless attacks on Uzodimma,” Emelumba said. “One such individual he contacted was a Lagos-based businessman, whom he spoke with on the phone on Wednesday, and later sent his Opay account number, requesting funds for a ticket to Lagos to finalize the arrangement. We have records of similar conversations.”
The commissioner described the critic’s actions as regrettable, noting that he was previously given a chance to serve as a commissioner but failed in the role. He also revealed that the critic still faces unresolved police cases, including allegations of stealing government property, for which he was reportedly indicted.
When asked if the government was considering paying off the critic to secure his silence, Emelumba firmly dismissed the notion, adding that Governor Uzodimma has nothing to hide.
