News Releases & Press Coverage

It was sometime in the summer of 2005. Right inside the banquet hall of IMO concord hotel. The event was a joint gala night hosted by IMO state government for President Olusegun Obasanjo and the 57 man/woman delegation I brought from United States, Britain and Canada. Obasanjo had come to commission the IMO state university teaching hospital.
In my delegation was my medical mission team which I brought frequently to IMO to conduct free treatments and surgeries. But most importantly, there was Jim Jackson from Denver Colorado a great friend of mine.

Jim is one of the wealthiest philanthropists in America. Jim picked me once from the airport and drove me to his home at the Colorado mountains. During lunch with him and his wife, Jim told me how he sold all his possessions including homes and luxury automobiles and gave away everything to charity. He still ended up even wealthier than he was. That was at the point when I met Jim.

I was hounding for resources all over United States to uplift our people’s lives in Imo State. During this period, I met Ed Colvin in Memphis Tennessee who took me to Jim Jackson in Denver Colorado. I told Jim the story of my people IMO and their needs. “I don’t trust Nigerian’s” Jim said. I begged Jim to trust me for the sake of my people. So on a gala night, when Jim was asked to speak, Jim recounted how much I chased him all over United States.

He recounted how he later believed in my integrity and how he gave me 60 containers of medical equipment over the period of three years. He recounted how he had spent about 2 weeks in IMO state with my medical team visiting hospitals and health centers all over the state. The hospitals that we visited several times include the following:

The entire 27 L.G.A’s which include the Okigwe General Hospital, Umuokanne General Hospital in Ohaji Egbema, Oguta, General Hospital Aboh Mbaise General Hospital, Orlu General Hospital, Awommama General Hospital, Ihite Uboma General Hospital, Owerri General Hospital Umuguma etc.   :

Jim spoke on how he saw me give the things he game me to the teaching hospitals and health centers all over the state. Jim spoke on the fire trucks and 8 ambulances he donated to my people for me.

Earlier in his speech at the gala, Obasanjo asked Udewna how much he borrowed to buy all the sophisticated state of the art equipment at the teaching hospital.
Udenwa answered that they were all brought in free by Ike C. Ibe (over 12 billion Naira in equipment and materials) from the United States. And so as Jim was concluding his speech, his voice started chocking as he got emotional. Jim said, “I have never met any Nigerian man as good, humbled and honest as Ike. Jim said with all humility that “IMO has a great son, Ike Ibe is my hero, he’s my kind of guy.” I was so humbled as everyone rocked the hall with a standing ovation for me. Jim promised he will continue to help me help my people of IMO State. Help Jim and others to help us more. With their support, we can free up more resources for more development. I can be your hero too if you agree to be mine. For My People, I Rise. God bless and keep us all.