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 Wednesday 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 at a point became worried 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