Ihedioha Recounts Contributions to Imo Greatness

Amby Uneze in Owerri

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has said that the gains that characterised his tenure in the legislature were born out of deliberate strategic planning and consensus delivery.

He stated this at St John’s Anglican Church, Amauzari, Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State, during the 2016 Diocesan Synod of the Diocese of Isi Mbano.

Delivering the Keynote Address titled, “Restoring the confidence of the citizens in the political leadership in Nigeria – A case study of Imo State”, he said, “I was motivated to pursue a career in politics by my desire to effect a positive change in our landscape as underdevelopment defined my immediate community, Mbutu, and the need to contribute to the development of my dear State. Today, we have effected undeniably, remarkable positive change in those critical
areas of need.

“It is instructive that during my 12 years as the people’s
representative in the National Assembly, during which period I served as Committee Chairman, Principal Officer and finally as Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives, I spared no opportunity to reposition my constituency and indeed Imo State.”

Speaking further, Chief Ihedioha who was the Imo State Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in 2015 general elections, said, “Without sounding immodest, I can beat my chest and sum up that in spite of the challenges, ours was a success story as I did not fail to properly link our dear state up to the national political and infrastructural grid.

“While I was there, I think I made you proud through effective
representation, facilitation of human capacity development and
significant physical infrastructural development into the state, a feature that was not common in Imo State before my emergence at that level and indeed Nigeria took note that there was an Imo son of
outstanding quality and enviable credentials.”

Decrying what he described as deliberate destructions of known
economic infrastructure built by notable Imolites who sacrificed their lives for the development of the state by the present state government, he therefore call for caution.

He also expressed dismay over the pull-him-down-syndrome that isn inherent among some senior Imo citizens, and frowned at the thriving model of blackmail that has unfortunately become a norm in the polity.

“It is regrettable that as I was busy with efforts at developing our state, some otherwise senior Imo citizens who ought to know better, chose to spend their time and resources in negating my efforts, castigating and misrepresenting my achievements and unfortunately in return, offered no alternative in return”, he said.

While urging the church to rise to speak out the ills and provide moral direction to the society, he expressed hope thus, “it is my fervent prayer that in the nearest future, Imo State will become a model, upholding the principles of democracy, separation of powers and the rules of law as provided for in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as
amended.”