By Debo Oladimeji
Whether one likes it or not, the stark reality today is that Senator Hope Uzodimma is the incumbent governor of Imo state and may be there longer than expected so the earlier this fact is accepted with proper adjustments made, the better.
It will not be right to justify the senseless political opposition against him from different angles. The most important thing is for Ndi Imo to have the Imo State of their dream where irrespective of age, sex and class, will all walk shoulder high and say of a truth that they have the Imo State of their collective aspiration. There is the need to have and sustain a conducive environment for peaceful coexistence and productivity in the state. To do this, all hands must be on deck, to move the state forward and put aside party affiliation and ideological differences.
Senator Hope Uzodinma has made good governance his watchword, striving within the limits of his ability to provide dividends of democracy for everyone in every nook and cranny of the State.
Everybody should be proud of what the governor is doing to develop the state.
Former Senate President Ken Nnamani has said the All Progressives Congress APC) was proud of the achievements of Governor Uzodimma.
He spoke after a meeting of top APC leaders with Uzodimma in Owerri, the state capital. The five ministers from Southeast attended the meeting.
Nnamani, a member of APC National Caretaker Committee, described Uzodinma as a worthy ambassador of the party.
He said: “We are proud of the governor’s achievements. We are proud of the projects he is executing. His name is Hope and he has shown that there is hope. ”
Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo; the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan; state governors, National Assembly members and chieftains of All Progressives Congress (APC) also recently commended Governor Hope Uzodimma for his achievements in one year in office.
The leaders made their commendation at a thanksgiving church service at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri to mark the governor’s one year in office.
Osinbajo lauded the achievements of governor Uzodimma who he said has done well within just a year of his administering the State, just as he has predicted that he would go far in his political career.
Osinbajo showered encomium on Uzodimma who he particularly commended for constructing solid roads and other massive infrastructure in the State.
“You are here as governor of Imo State, by the grace of God. God says he honours those who honour him. How you can honour God is to serve your people honestly.”
Also, the Senate President, Lawan corroborated the commendations of the vice president on Uzodimma. He said “I served with Uzodimma, at the Senate and he is very reliable and someone you can trust. He is one you can’t find wanting, when Uzodimma, became governor I knew Imo will be taken to the next level because of his capacity to deliver.”
Others who commended the governor were the governors of Yobe, Ekiti, Kogi, Ebonyi and the leadership of the House of Representatives.
Uzodimma has vowed to utilise the resources of the State to better the living condition of the people, just as he equally promised to continue delivering on his campaign promises.
A chieftain of APC in Imo State, Hon Dr Celestine Izunobi also commended the Governor of Imo State, on his numerous achievements.
The USA trained Orsu Local Government Area (LGA) born medical doctor described Uzodinma as a pacesetter whose resolve to develop Imo State is unquenchable. According to him, it would have taken a visionary leader like Senator Hope Uzodinma to manage the Covid-19 pandemic crisis to the extent that Imo only recorded 2 identifiable index cases of Covid-19, saying that if the governor was not prepared for leadership, the situation would have overwhelmed him.
The governor of Imo, Senator Hope Uzodinma, is not a stranger to APC, he has been part of the APC family, he has played very decisive roles when it mattered in the affairs of the party. Upon his victory which was delayed courtesy of INEC and finally retrieved by Supreme Court.
Incidentally, Governor Hope Uzodinma brings on board a huge experience. He had a rewarding experience in the private sector, he has been in the legislature at the federal level and so he understands what the issues are. So, Imo people are free from the challenge of a learning curve as he goes straight to work and bring to bear all of those experiences that he has gathered from the private sector, national legislature. And of course, one who deeply believes that Imo ought to be better than where it is.”
Governor Uzodinma reiterated that he understands very clearly the challenges in Imo State. “Even before now, only few days ago when I got to Imo, I discovered that salaries were not being paid in full. The reason being that the money coming from Abuja, the federation account, is not sufficient. What I did was to cut down the running cost and forfeit the security vote donated to the governor. I made up the money and we were able to pay salaries 100 per cent to all the civil servants. I also directed that the local government funds be sent straight to the local governments until such a time the state is ready to release 10 per cent of their IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) to the local governments, then we can begin to do the business of JAC – Joint Allocation Committee.
“For 12 years, no governor visited the civil service secretariat. I was there two days ago and water had not been available to the secretariat for the past nine years. Two days after my visit, water is running there now, they have been connected back to electricity and the generators are being worked on now.
“So, my mandate is about the people and my government will just be about the people and by the grace of God, I will not disappoint their expectations. I am sure they will see good governance from a man with experience, working in consultation with political stakeholders in the state. I think we can do it differently and the narrative will be acceptable to the people.
On arrival at Imo State, he visited leaders from the political class. Like you must have heard and seen, the party is properly reconciling and leaders are coming back together even across board. “Twenty-seven members of the House of Assembly, 25 are now APC members, they have decamped to APC. The state chairman of the PDP in Imo State, seven members of his cabinet have decamped to APC. APC is building and the momentum is growing by the day. So the issue of reconciliation is being given serious attention,” he said
