By Oguwike Nwachuku
About this time next week, January 20 to be precise, Governor of Imo State, Sen. (Dr.) Hope Uzodimma will mount the podium at Davos, Switzerland as the keynote speaker at this year’s Africa House Future Forum.
He was nominated for this crucial role by those behind this leadership cum intellectual discourse because they trust his capacity to do justice to the topic under examination in the interest of the global humanity.
The theme of the conference is, “Africa: The future lives here, leading generations into a new era,” and the Co-founder of Africa House, Mamaodu Toure said it “reflects our mission to foster collaboration, build partnership and accelerate Africa’s trajectory towards a prosperous future.”
By the way, Africa House is an action platform where forward-thinking global leaders convene annually to co create solutions, foster collaboration, and drive impactful initiatives towards the development of Africa.
The letter to Governor Uzodimma by Toure over his choice as lead speaker was lucid and self explanatory.
But fundamentally, the organisers said it was because of Uzodimma’s “dedication towards fostering transparency, accountability and progress through his leadership of Imo State.”
The invite to him is worth recapping here for emphasis, particularly as Uzodimma was described as “a resilient leader whose commitment to unity and growth of Imo State reflects your passion for building a prosperous and inclusive in Imo State.”
Toure added: “With a strong background in politics, governance, and international studies, you bring a visionary approach to advancing economic and social development.
“Your leadership as the governor of Imo State showcases your dedication to fostering transparency, accountability and progress.”
Toure believes that Uzodimma’s “expertise and partnership as a speaker and panellist would help shape the future of sustainability, economic development and entrepreneurship on the continent,”insisting that as a lead speaker, “Uzodimma will also share his transformative experiences in Imo State so as to encourage other African leaders to toe the same path.”
It is important to note, however, that this latest international recognition for Uzodimma aligns with his developmental initiatives in Imo State, especially in driving accountable and transparent governance system, and coming barely two months after the World Bank, awarded him four million United States Dollars for running an accountable administration.
Away from the Davos engagement, today, January 15, also marks it exactly five years Senator Uzodimma, Chairman, Progressives Governor’s Forum, Chairman, South East Governor’s Forum among other leadership roles at the national and subnational government levels, was sworn in as Governor of Imo State.
That was after the Supreme Court had ruled on January 14, 2020 that he was the validly elected candidate in the 2019 Imo State governorship election that some fellows had wilfully ganged up to deny him the electoral victory he was freely given by the Imo electorate.
No need to waste our time on what is already public knowledge on how Uzodimma recovered his stolen mandate via a tortuous judicial process that ended at the Supreme Court.
Perhaps, the best way to show that there was a coordinated gang-up by a band of political buccaneers to deny Uzodimma victory in the 2019 Governorship election and stop him from assuming office ab initio, even as the clear winner, was the superlative repeat performance that saw him being overwhelmingly reelected on November 11, 2023.
The Governor had won in all the 27 local government areas of the State on November 11, 2023, an electoral feat no democratically elected Governor, living or dead in Imo State, has achieved.
The good news today, however, is that from his first tenure which started on January 15, 2020 through to the end of his first four years in office till this moment when Uzodimma has spent his fifth year in office, having been sworn in for a second term on January 15, ,2024, he has provided focused leadership and demonstrated preparedness to govern a State that is rich in human, material, environmental and other complexities.
It is really difficult to evaluate Uzodimma’s achievement in five years in this small space, but yours sincerely holds the strong view that even the blind can feel the benefits of his impactful administration in Imo.
With his Shared Prosperity 3-R Government anchored on Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery, a well conceived idea to cater to the immediate, medium and long term basic needs of Imolites who were victims of humongous leadership deficit in the past in Imo, Uzodimma, since January 15, 2020 when he assumed office till now, has reset the State on a trajectory of sustainable development across all sectors of human endeavour.
Uzodimma’s giant strides, nay legacies, five years on, are seen everywhere, depending on where one is viewing from.
They include, but not limited to his giant strides in the civil service, education, commerce and industry, information, health, transportation, finance, budget and planning, environment, mines, solid minerals and petroleum, power, revenue generation, human capital development, youth empowerment/development, agriculture, industrial policy, digital economy/e-government, roads infrastructure, housing, lands and survey, tourism, culture and creative arts, labour, women affairs, justice, security, sports development, relationship with other arms of government; among others.
In the above mentioned areas, Uzodimma’s administration has made an impact that Imo people living within and outside the country can attest to and be grateful to his administration even many years after he has left office.
In five years, Imo under Uzodimma witnessed a phenomenal economic leap that the economic score card from Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Debt Management Office (DMO) and the World Bank show that under his watch, Imo State emerges the fourth biggest economy in Nigeria with the following metrics:
. A Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of N7.658 trillion
.The 11th best place for business and investments in Nigeria
. An Ease of Doing Business ranking of 11/36 states and the Federal Capital Territory
.The highest density of hospitality industry in Nigeria
.The largest palm oil plantation in West Africa
.The biggest natural gas reserve in West Africa
.The State’s real estate, especially the Owerri Metropolis Land and Properties, became one of the most sought after in terms of high return on investments in Nigeria.
.Imo was rated the toast of the South East and South South States, and the investment destination for the Diaspora, as well as the entertainment hub, leisure and tourism capital of Nigeria.
Five years on, Uzodimma has made routine payment of salaries of civil servants, pension and gratuities to retirees, a given and not a yardstick to measure a government’s performance.
His reforms in the civil service that took into consideration, the seamless payment of salaries and pensions via an automated payroll system; free bus shuttle; free medicals, including health insurance scheme for serving and retired workers; official vehicles for Permanent Secretaries; capacity training/retraining of workers; elevation of workers whose promotions were stagnated for more than 12 years and the introduction of the 13th month salary, the first time in the history of Imo State, et al, have endeared him to the people.
His foray into road infrastructure and development, including junction renewals and beautification, has continued unhindered.
Apart from the signature roads of Owerri-Orlu; Owerri-Okigwe; Owerri-Mbaise-Obowo-Umuahia; Oguta-Mgbidi-Omuma-Akata-Opkoro Orlu Road, Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport to Owerri-Aba Road, MCC-Toronto-Road Safety road, more equally signature roads have continued to spring up across the State.
Work is progressing at an unprecedented speed on the Orlu-Mgbe-Akokwa-Uga-Aguata road, the Federal University of Technology Owerri/ Ihiagwa road and bridge, the Assumpta Roundabout flyover, the Government House Annex Complex at Orlu, the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre, Owerri, to name but a few.
Most of the projects have reached more than 70 percent completion and have been slated for commissioning this quarter of second quarter of the year.
Recall that on assumption of office, Uzodimma also paid attention to badly decayed inner city roads like: Dick Tiger Street; Concorde Boulevard junction by Port Harcourt Road; Muhammadu Buhari Drive (formerly Federal Secretariat Road); Fire Service junction improvement, Douglas Road to Naze junction; Government House junction improvement, Imo State University junction; Okporo-Omuma Road; Stadium Road, Okigwe; Oparanozie-Edede-Amaigbo Street; Umuahia Street; Lake Nwaebere Street; Olokoro Street; Okeikpe Street; Arugo Street; Egbema Street; Ngwa Street; JP Ajaelu Street; Thomas Moore Street; Gozie Nwachukwu Street; Archdeacon Dennis Road, Aladinma; Assumpta/Ibari Ogwa/ Port Harcourt Road; Dick Tiger Street; Golden Child Road; Egbema/Adapalm/Obosima Road; St. Joseph Catholic Church Road, Orlu; St. Mary’s Okigwe Roundabout, Okigwe; IMSUTH Road, Orlu; Chukwuma Nwoha Road; Naze-Nekede-Ihiagwa-Obinze Road (phase one); Akachi Road (Evan Enwerem Way); Relief Market Road; Ring Road Aladinma Housing Estate; Ring roads behind Concorde Hotel; Egbeada By-pass Road, among others.
Also, Links Hotel Road; Pius Nwoga Road; Hospital junction; Umuguma to High Court Road; Bank Road/Assumpta Avenue; Emmanuel College to Pastoral Centre; Imo Police Headquarters Road; Nekede Old Road Bridge; Amakohia Flyover Road; Bishops Court Roundabout; Ebere Links end of new Government House Road; Amakohia-Onitsha (DSS Road); Works Road by Bala Suya; Bank Road/Assumpta Avenue; Cherubim junction to Owerri Club Road; Ahiajoku Centre-Port Harcourt Road; Umezuruike-Warehouse Road; Ihitte Ogada-Awaka-Emekuku-Ekemmegbuoha; Old Road Nekede-Area H junction; Nwachukwu Orizu extension; Umuguma-Port Harcourt Road-Holy Rosary International College; Uchenna Bus stop; Ring Road in Irete, Umuguma Last Roundabout Road; Industrial Layout (Celestine Izunobi Crescent); Nwachukwu Orizu by World Bank Road; Holy Trinity-World Bank Road; Ejimkeonye Street, among others, were attended to.
Today in Owerri, flooding has become a thing of the past because Uzodimma has tackled head-on the flooding in Owerri that was not just a recurring decimal, but made most landlords to abandon their property while their tenants flee to other cities.
The only magic was Uzodimma’s intentional deployment of a novel flood control mechanism, a balloon-driven technology, with which he dealt decisively with flash floods and today, Owerri is completely rid of the flood nightmare.
Across the 27 local government areas the construction of 135-kilometre local roads across took off within the five years of Uzodimma’s administration and the idea is principally to connect the communities to the urban roads, create a movement synergy between the locals and the State metropolis, and consequently, effectively expose Imo to her external and internal neighbours for the sole purpose of stimulating economic activities and social life in the State.
The point should be emphasised that the five years of Uzodimma’s impactful administration was not all about roads.
To Uzodimma’s credit, brand new edifices such as the Executive Chambers, Banquet Hall, First Lady’s Office, Imo State House of Assembly Complex, General Hospitals in Omuma, Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema, court complexes in Owerri West and Oru East, Eke Ukwu International market, Owerri, schools like the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umugumma, the Imo State Polytechnic Omuma, Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport night lighting facility, Air Force Base barracks, Naval Base, and more have berthed.
Uzodimma’s relationship with the other arms of government is not only cordial, but one that fosters trust between the three arms of government in a manner that the immeasurable benefits rob off on the people.
In Uzodimma’s administration the quick dispensation of justice is observed to the fullest and his government has always facilitated such by according the judicial officers in Imo State the dignity their offices require by ensuring that no judge or magistrate, operates without an official vehicles.
Besides, he restored seniority in the appointments of heads of units in the judiciary, a system that was an aberration and on full bastardisation before he assumed office on January 15, 2020.
Under Uzodimma’s administration in the past five years, 305 Health Centres have berthed in all the 305 electoral wards in Imo, and they are being complemented with Mobile Clinics equipped with modern facilities and drugs and manned by professional health carers.
Because health care is at the heart of Uzodimma’s 3-R Government, and key to the socioeconomic wellbeing of the people, he has shunned anything that would lead to the micromanaging of the health needs of rural dwellers.
It is with that mindset that three state-of-the-art General Hospitals at Omuma, Oguta and Ohaji Egbema were built and commissioned by Uzodimma so that they can to work in synergy with existing Teaching Hospitals – Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu and Federal University of Technology, Owerri Teaching Hospital – to serve the people well.
In the spirit, an all year round free medical mission, involving medical experts in the United States of America and other parts of Europe in conjunction with the Imo State government, has become routine under his watch. What is more, millions of Imolites are today benefiting from the free Imo State health insurance scheme, courtesy of Uzodimma’s impactful administration.
Are you then surprised that when Coronavirus hit the world like a tsunami in the early years of Uzodimma’s government, Imo was one of the few States in Nigeria that managed the pandemic properly and recorded low fatalities.
It is on record that despite global economic downturn, Uzodimma has consistently funded Imo’s five tertiary institutions – Imo State University, Owerri; University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo; Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Ogboko; Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma and Ben Uwajimogu College of Education, Ihitte Uboma. The State also effortlessly funds her Schools of Nursing and Midwifery. Five years ago most of the schools were not there before.
Governor Uzodimma’s commitment to funding the education sector paid off during the long strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which almost crippled the university system three years ago, as no single lecturer in any of the above institutions was owed a dime by the government of the day.
Much as Imo does not belong to the comity of States that are on top of the federal government allocation table, the magic behind Uzodimma’s successful funding mode is nothing but his prudent and strategic way of deploying the scarce resources of the people to get result.
A man who injects creative ideas into his governance style, and combines them with prudence and accountable structure, obviously, will be sort after by development partners, and I can tell us for free that they are constantly proud to associate with Uzodimma’s government.
“Where there is a will, there must be a way,” he has always insisted.
Uzodimma does not just renovate and equip schools, he takes seriously the training and retraining of teachers.
Poised to elevate the standard of education in Imo State to an enviable level, he recently directed the process of engaging about 10,000 teachers in the State’s teaching service anchored on the fact that the new teachers will impart great knowledge to students using modern teaching techniques and competencies. It is for this reason that two Commissioners, one for tertiary education and the other for primary/secondary education are on the saddle.
Has Governor Uzodimma left a big mark in the psyche of Imo people in the empowerment of youths through the Digital Economy and E-Government Ministry? The answer is in the affirmative. And the evidence is huge.
With the Ministry of Digital Economy and E- Government which Uzodimma was the first Governor in the country to create, more than 100,000 Imo youths have been trained and empowered with start-up kits and capital under the Skill-Up Imo programme. The Governor’s target is to take more than 300,000 Imo youths out of unemployment by the end of his second term.
His words: “By empowering these youths, we are shielding them from crime, especially from the clutches of unscrupulous politicians who would want to use them to achieve their selfish and often nefarious aims.
“Government has spent more than N10 billion in this empowerment exercise. I would like to express my gratitude to the Central Bank of Nigeria and other development partners who have walked with us in this journey.”
Under Uzodimma, Imo State is vigorously pursuing her 10 year (2024-2034) Development Plan and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework where all the socio-economic parameters that will define the scope of her development in the nearest, medium, or long term, gain traction.
Uzodimma’s visionary, pragmatic and transformational leadership skill kits are daily being deployed to make the Plan a reality.
Talking about the benefits of Uzodimma’s first five years in office we cannot but celebrate the reconstructed intercity and urban roads, recovery of Adapalm, recovery of Imo Standard Shoe Industry, restoration of the Ottamiri Water Scheme abandoned by previous administrations, rebuilding of the Imo State Secretariat and House of Assembly Complex, upgrade of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri to a Teaching Hospital for Federal University of Technology, Owerri, upgrade of Alvan Ikoku College of Education to Federal University of Education, recovery of Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Ogboko, establishment of University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo, revival of Ben Uwajimogu College of Education, Ihitte Uboma, creation of Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma, revalidation of the accreditation of the College of Medicine, Imo State University and Schools of Nursing and Midwifery in Orlu and Aboh Mbaise, dredging of Oguta Lake/Orashi River to the Atlantic Ocean, et cetera.
It is in record that under Uzodimma, Imo received $30 million from a World Bank initiative – the State Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) – for accountability and transparency in fiscal budgetary processes.
Imo has also keyed into the Hope Green Revolution, an acronym that would drive a money-spinning Imo Environment Laboratory and Waste Recycling initiative, under the Sustainable Trans-Environment International Foundation (STEI), to reduce green house gas emissions, among other development partnership initiatives on agribusiness involving the African Development Bank (AfDB). The Eastern Waste Management Company in collaboration with other government agencies is already doing a great job in Imo in this direction.
Talking about Uzodimma’s love for law and order in the past five years, he brought to the fore his experience as an astute lawmaker, and initiated more than 40 Executive Bills that were signed into laws after they were carefully screened and passed by the State House of Assembly.
The Bills include but not limited to: Imo State Revenue (Amendment) Law No.1 of 2020; Imo State Administration of Criminal Justice Law No.2 of 2020; Imo State Waste Management Agency Law No.5 of 2020; Imo State Governor’s Pension and Privileges (Repeal) Law No.8 of 2020; Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law No.8 of 2021; Imo Security Organisation (IMSO) Law No.2 of 2021.
Five years on, Uzodimma is consolidating on the gains of his adminstration in security, peace, education, health, road infrastructure, power, agriculture, transportation, youth and women empowerment, poverty alleviation, transparency and accountability in government, political inclusiveness codified in the Imo Charter of Equity, and many others as they affect all sectors of society.
His emphasis on efficient and transparent administration with equity and justice as the banner says a lot about where his administration is still headed.
At the dawn of Uzodimma’s second term he, in an unmistakable terms, indicated his readiness to continue to run an administration that is transparent, accountable, corruption free and all inclusive, all geared towards serving the public well.
“The only reason we have joined politics is to have the opportunity to serve our people,” Uzodimma said, and I can bet he is prepared to serve the people till the end of his administration.
Going forward, Uzodimma would like to pay greater attention to the realisation of the dredging of Oguta Lake/Orashi river to the Atlantic Ocean, the realisation of the approval already given for the establishment of an oil and gas Free Trade Zone for Imo State, the realisation of an uninterrupted 24 hour electricity supply to the 27 local government areas of Imo State through the instrumentality of the Orashi Electricity Company, the realisation of food security in Imo State, the coming on stream, fully, of the Nsu Ceramic Tiles, Avutu Poultry Farm, Imo Standard Shoe Industry, the Government House Annex in Orlu, the Seplat Energy and NNPCL Limited joint health facility at the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, among others.
Uzodimma’s passion for the development of Imo will lead him to the realisation of the full benefits of the ongoing renovation of Hilton Concorde Hotel, Owerri, the ongoing construction of Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre, the full benefits of the recently commissioned Africa Quality Assurance Centre at Ngor Okpala, the interconnected roads across the State like the Banana Junction to Eziachi Road to Anara to Isiala Mbano to Ehime Mbano up to Ahiazu, Aboh Mbaise, Ezinihitte down to Aba Branch, et al.
Uzodimma’s joy will know no bounds when the projects start contributing to the long anticipated economic boom in Imo in particular and the South East in general, and consequently, align with his Shared Prosperity lingo and 3-R mantra of reconstruction, rehabilitation and recovery of the State and its people.
There is no gainsaying the fact that five years on, Uzodimma has kept faith with the people of Imo State on the oath he took to lead responsibly, truthfully, accountably and with the fear of God.
I will not get tired of calling our minds to the oath Uzodimma took before God on how he would want to operate as Governor of Imo State.
His words: “While I was praying to be the Governor of Imo State, I promised God that if He made me Governor I will use the position to work honestly for the good of the people. God has done His part by making me the Governor and it was now left to me to do my own part.
“I have not come to grab or steal your money. I have come to work for you instead. Consequently, I charge you to beam your searchlight on me and if you find that I took your property or money, you should immediately raise the alarm.”
At the Imo Stakeholders meeting two years ago, on January 5, 2023, Uzodimma had reminded Imo people again of his covenant with God.
He said: “It is almost three years since I made these profound declarations and assurances, the question I now ask you is: have I kept faith with my promises? Let me reiterate that those declarations and assurances of 2020 still subsist.
“They will continue to subsist for all the period of my governorship. I repeat, also, that if you find me reneging on these promises, you should not hesitate to raise the alarm.
“I can only add that by the grace of God Almighty who made me Governor, I will not fail Him or Imo people, who voted for me. I will continue to serve you to the utmost of my ability, in truth and the fear of God.”
For five years, Uzodimma’s government has thought the people to know that their tomorrow can be planned today. From day one, his budgets have reflected development instead of consumption.
Unlike what used to happen before January 15, 2020 when he assumed office, today, appropriation for capital expenditure looks more like statutory and has continued to define the character of Uzodimma’s administration.
A peep into the 2025 “Budget of Expanded Economic Opportunities,” of N807 billion reveals a whopping N694.78 billion representing 86.9% allocated for capital expenditure as against N112, 302 billion representing 13.91% for recurrent expenditure.
Uzodimma has remained consistent in five years in paying more attention to capital expenditure than recurrent expenditure in his budgetary allocations and that tells a lot about the character of a man who caught out to serve.
I want to believe that Toure and his colleagues I inviting Uzodimma to Davos have taken note of his strength of character in juxtaposition with other leaders, either in Imo or elsewhere, and are proud to identify with a man whose passion for service aligns with his open, transparent, credible, inclusive and accountable governance matrix.
While we are confident that Uzodimma will not disappoint as usual when he gets to Davos, we cannot but congratulate him for making Imo State proud, particularly these five years of being in the saddle.
Nwachuku is the Chief Press Secretary/ Special Adviser (Media) to Governor Uzodimma
