High Expectations as Uzodimma Takes Oath for Second Term

Tony Icheku reports that residents of Imo state are looking forward to a robust re-engineering of the socio-economic fabric of the State as Governor Hope Uzodimma begins second term.

As Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, takes oath for a second term in office today, expectations are high that he would hit the ground running and quickly record big wins in sub-sectors that suffered extreme neglect in his first term namely Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), creation of more jobs, infrastructural renewal and poverty alleviation.

Indeed, Uzodimma’s first term from 2020 to 2023 would certainly go down in history as the holocaust years of Imo State. During these period, the menace of insecurity destabilised every fabric of life in the State.

In his own words, Uzodimma acknowledged that the period  were “actually very challenging,’ recalling  that in  2020, 2021 and 2022, the whole world thought that Imo would be excised from the Nigerian Nation as a result of insecurity.

The governorship election in November, 2023, which produced Uzodimma as winner however signalled a turn around in the fortunes of the State, indications that life is gradually returning  to the pre-2020 normalcy.

The job for the next four years is cut out for the governor with the growing stability in the State, therefore Imolites contend that the Governor has no reason to underperform, but to appropriately re-position Imo State in

its ranking as the largest economy in the South-East geo-political region and the fourth largest in the country in terms of GDP per capita.

In his first term agenda, Uzodimma promised to escalate the Internally Generated Revenue to N5 billion monthly from the N600 monthly revenue he met, but to date, his best performance was N19.3 billion per annum generated in 2022

Another promise of creating 500,000 jobs remains a proposal on paper, and in terms of unemployment standing at 57%, Imo records the highest in the country.

The Imo economy, in layman’s terms has been on consistent decline since 2020 and is currently adjudged the worst performing in the South-East. The State survives 85% on FAAC allocation and 15% on IGR.

The State’s domestic debt increased by 40.7% on a yearly basis  from N120 billion as at the end of 2020 to N210.39 billion by June, 2022.

An Owerri-based journalist and publisher of a community newspaper, Mr Henry Ekpe, while reviewing Uzodimma’s first term blamed the opposition, insecurity threats and the Covid-99 for his lack-lustre performance. He, however, applauded the governor for the reconstruction of the Owerri/Orlu; Owerri/ Umuahia, (partially completed)and Owerri/Okigwe roads while insisting that “this time, the Governor should prioritise road infrastructure based on its importance to the State, and not for political reasons “

Ekpe submitted that in Uzodimma’s second coming, Imolites look forward to seeing the major rural roads in the State get attention. He specifically listed roads like the Timber Market road,  Naze, and the short distance road leading into Alaba Market by Aba road, all in Owerri, describing  them as strategic roads that lead  into the main economic hubs of the State as both  markets employ thousands of Imo citizens.

Ekpe added that other rural roads like Ulakwo/Upe/Imerrienwe/Umuekwune roads lead to the food basket of Imo State.

Others like  Nguru, Umuneke/ Ngor/Nkwala/Eziama road, all in Ngor Okpala LGA if reconstructed would boost the economy of  the State tremendously.

He further listed Nekede Poly/FUTO Road, linking Port  Harcourt road at Army Barrack, Obinze and rural roads especially in Ikeduru, Ohaji, Egbema, Onuimo LGAs all being roads with significant economic importance to the State

Ekpe also urged the governor to look towards agriculture as an avenue to create mass employment for Imo’s idle army of able bodied youths.

On the kind of team Uzodimma needs to get it right, Ekpe urged him to constitute a cabinet that is compact, qualified and productive. He is also of the view that  Uzodinma should develop a robust relationship with Imo based press

According to him: “He should not think that since he is not asking for favours in terms of votes, the press can now go to hell. No, he needs them today, tomorrow, and after. His relationship with Imo media is poor. How many Correspondents in Imo can he recognize?”

Advancing his expectations from Uzodimma, the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, urged the governor to focus on completing the capital projects he started in his first term and had not yet completed. His words: “He should look at water supply with emphasis on eliminating water-borne diseases. He should also focus on rural development”.

Iwuanyanwu further urged the governor to try the carrot and stick approach in resolving the insecurity challenge. He explained that the threats of insecurity must not always be confronted with force.

According to him, government should play its role in nipping the challenge of insecurity in the bud by creating employment opportunities for youths and providing skills acquisition for those deemed unemployable.

On his part, Mr Chinonso Uba, also known as Nonso Nkwa described the last four years as a period of ‘anything goes’ where political appointees failed to do their bit or even shortchanged the State because the governor was too distracted by the menace of insecurity and the various litigations against him to offer effective leadership.

Uba who contested to represent Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency on the platform of the ADC submitted that all Uzodimma had to do in the next four years was to get right all the things he did wrong in his first term.

First, he counselled the governor to get it right with the people, win their confidence and approval by getting to the root of allegations of human rights abuses, and eliminating same. Specifically, he urged the governor to probe the Commander of Tiger Base, a police detention post which in recent time is becoming synonymous with police brutality and human rights abuses.

Secondly, Uba urged the governor to drop the style of using the military and police to bombard and intimidate Imolites.

His words: “Governor Uzodimma should desist from the use of force and adopt dialogue to contain the scourge of insecurity. He should use dialogue to bring our Imo sons and daughters who are in the bush, he should dialogue with them and get them to embrace peace going forward”.

Third, Uba counselled Uzodimma to take a holistic view of his appointees and prosecute those who had sabotaged the Imo economy or abused their offices. Making references to the former Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Noble Atulegwu who was relieved of his job and is being investigated by the Police, Uba maintained that beyond investigation of erring political appointees, those indicted should be prosecuted as well.

Fourth, Uba would want the governor to undertake a total overhaul or probe of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to determine among others, abuses of office; causes of leakages in  revenue accruals to the State; cases of economics sabotage; widespread fraud and malpractices;  plus incidents of underperformance.

“Unless Governor Uzodimma, in this second term embarks on a rigourous post-mortem of the MDAs, he may never deduce why the Imo economy is declining and poverty spreading like an epidemic in an oil-producing State that receives 13% derivation fund in addition to its FAAC allocation”, he submitted.

On his part,  human rights activist and journalist, Emmanuel Onwubiko, argued that since there can be no tomorrow without a yesterday, Uzodimma needs to reconcile the occurrences of yesterday so that he can build a better tomorrow.

To that extent, Onwubiko proposed that the Governor should get the Imo State House of Assembly to pass a bill establishing a ‘Truths and Reconciliation Commission’ to record the atrocities committed by the Police and military during the insecurity menace years.

He argued that there is need to record and publish a list of all Igbo youths whose lives were wasted on the mere insinuation that they were IPOB members.

According to him, mere allegations does not make one a terrorist, there are laid down procedures to labelling any person a criminal or terrorist, but hundreds of Igbo youths were extra-judicially assassinated without any proof that there were indeed terrorists. They should be identified and their families duly compensated.

Speaking in the same vein, the National Coordinator of Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), Henry Onwubiko submitted that police and military personnel who were killed in the course of duty to be equally identified and their families also equally compensated.

Thereafter, he urged the governor to engage in constructive dialogue to get those on warpath to drop their weapons and embrace peace.

According to him: “Imo State used to be Nigeria’s number one  for hospitable, accommodating and relaxation environment. Therefore, Uzodimma must do all he can to created an enabling environment for investors to return to Imo. The State can boast of a large pool of highly skilled youths wasting away due to lack of gainful employment. The State has what it takes to become an MSME hub”.

To further create an enabling environment, the HURIWA boss urged the Governor to make peace with the political class including those who contested the November 11, 2023 governorship election with him and lost, and who may be aggrieved.

On the flipside, he urged the opposition political elites to allow Uzodimma settle down to work without the distraction of litigations or other forms of political harassment, and urged those who lost in the election to withdraw their cases from the courts if they have any.

All things being equal, the factors are in Uzodimma’s favour to leave impressive  imprints behind. He belongs to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) at the centre and as a two-term former Senator, he is familiar with the workings of bureaucracy at the Federal level and could use his contacts in the National Assembly to make things happen.

History, therefore, beckons on Uzodimma to return Imo once more to prosperity and the expectations of Imo citizens and residents are high for a return to serene and conducive State where they can go about their business in peace and sleep in their homes with their two eyes closed.