By Prince Tim Ogwuru
Imo state has been in the news for the right and wrong reasons. Right reasons range from massive road rehabilitation, rapid infrastructural development, Waltersmith Modular Refinery, improved welfare of civil servants, payment of 13th month to workers and many more.
On the order hand wrong reasons include: heightened insecurity, transportation challenges, environmental dilapidation, poor sanitation etc.
However, there are other class of people still trapped and finding it difficult to accept the reality of the supreme court judgement that declared Hope Uzodimma as the substantive governor of Imo state in January, 2020.
The Imo state PDP Publicity Secretary, Collins Opurozor, said that Uzodimma’s three years in office were enmeshed in economic stagnation, mass penury, insecurity and infrastructural decay. He alleged that Uzodimma had, in the past three years, worked so hard to ensure that all the institutions of democracy in the state are dismantled and a full-blown dictatorship firmly established.
Opurozor further claimed that bloodshed, poor healthcare, the collapse of education, dearth of agricultural productivity, conscription of the political space and violation of human rights have become the order of the day.
I am not a politician in the strict sense of it but my recent visit to Imo state says otherwise. Granted that there are isolated cases of insecurity in the state but I feel it is part of the bigger picture and an overflow from the insecurity witnessed in all parts of the country. As a matter of fact, Imo state has less crime rate and is more secured that some of the states in the south East.
Despite these challenges, governor Uzodimma has brough hope to the people through accelerated infrastructural development, urban renewal, massive road network within Owerri and across the local governments.
The state governor recently launched the state’s Industrial Policy (IP) geared towards promoting economic growth and development.
The 64-page Industrial Policy document was designed with the technical assistance of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), to complement Governor Hope Uzodinma’s three-point agenda of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery and serves as the roadmap and blueprint for inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Imo State.
The governor also equipped security agencies so that they can fish out all the bad elements causing human carnage in the state. He further harped on the need for stronger inter-agency collaboration and information sharing to enable those at the frontlines have timely information on the plans of the non-state actors who are causing so much damage to the human and economic resources in the state.
He also procured 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) and more than 100 patrol vehicles, to the Nigerian Police to support them in their efforts to rid the state of all criminality.
Uzodimma pledged that his administration will continue to appreciate the sacrifices the military make for the safety, peace and freedom of Ndi Imo, noting that “those who lost their lives in their attempt to protect and keep Imo State safe will always be remembered.”
The governor has not lagged behind on infrastructural development. Before his first one year in office, President Muhammadu Buhari visited the state and commissioned a 5,000-barrel per day Waltersmith modular refinery and also performed the ground-breaking ceremony for phase-two of the project to expand the capacity of the refinery to 50,000 barrels per day.
On his second visit, Buhari extoled Uzodimma for replicating what the federal government is doing at the centre.
“I commend the Governor for being able to do so with the limited resources at the disposal of the State Government. This proves that when leaders are dedicated and focused, much can be achieved for our people.”
Some of his legacy projects include: the ultra-modern chamber of the rebuilt House of Assembly complex, the Owerri/Orlu dual carriage, Owerri/Okigwe road.
The governor also attracted the upgrading of the Federal Medical Centre to a teaching hospital and establishment of a naval base in Oguta, Imo State from the Federal government.
Uzodimma has a very robust plan of expanding the economic frontiers of the state. During his budget presentation, he said, “72 per cent of the 2023 budget has been mapped out for capital projects. We are purposeful and clear headed with our philosophy of wealth expansion through infrastructural development.
“Our newly constructed and ongoing roads will promote intercity trade and commerce and grow our Internally Generated Revenue.”
Hence, residents of Imo state have no need to worry having been reassured that the state government will ensure that security will be restored in the state and economic expansion, infrastructural development and security top priority of the state government.
Prince Time Ogwuru is a Public Affairs Analyst who lives in the United Kingdom. He can be reached through timogwuru@yahoo.co.uk
