Uzodimma Pledges Collaboration With Assembly Members To Develop Imo

Amid encomia by the 27 elected members of the Imo State House of Assembly who marked their one year in office, weekend, Governor Hope Uzodimma has pledged continuing collaboration with the lawmakers to ensure that under his watch, the State is developed.

It was a moment of solemn reflection for both members of the Executive and the Legislature who attended the occasion as they listened to Governor Uzodimma and the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chike Olemgbe, make their remarks which centred on how Imo State could become the economic hub of the South East if both arms of government continue to work together.

“Let me assure you that I will strive to continue to provide the enabling environment for you to execute your legislative duties and support your training programmes and improvement. I will always have your back as we collectively render selfless service to our people,” Governor Uzodimma said while congratulating the lawmakers on their first anniversary.

The Governor added: “Mr. Speaker, Honourable members, let me reiterate that I am here today to demonstrate my deep respect for this institution and my genuine appreciation for your cooperation with my administration since I assumed office as the Governor of Imo State. I am also here to celebrate hard work, resourcefulness, and patriotism. You represent the best, and your constituents made the right choice in electing you. Your legislative excellence is in consonance with my commitment to serving our people with integrity, Transparency and accountability shall continue to be my watchword.”

Governor Uzodimma who explained that his administration is in hurry to turn around the economic fortunes of Imo State, said that the lawmakers have, through their bills and motions, shown that they are also in sync with his developmental plans for the State.

The Governor identified their motions on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) as particularly encouraging, noting that the lawmakers show clearly that they understand the dynamics of current global economic and development trajectory.

Part of the Governor’s remarks read:

“It gives me great pleasure to be at this hallowed Chambers today to celebrate with the representatives of our people, the all-important arm of government, the bastion of our democracy.  As a law-making body, the House of Assembly is crucial, critical, and essential in the preservation and sustenance of our democracy.  This particular Assembly has distinguished itself as a responsible, responsive, and cohesive House, thus engendering trust and hope among the diverse people of the state.

“Let me hasten to congratulate the Rt. Honourable Speaker, the leadership, and all other Honourable members on this historic occasion of your one year anniversary.  You have indeed acquitted yourselves creditably in the last one year, given your vibrancy and resourcefulness.  I salute you for being alive to your responsibilities.

“Within the last one year, you have justified the confidence your constituents placed on you by working assiduously towards achieving your core mandates of making laws, amending laws, and abrogating laws when necessary. I understand that you have successfully passed 12 bills and tens of motions within this period. I am proud of you indeed for the hard work, your sense of purpose, and your vision for a new Imo.

“This vision for a new Imo is what has welded all of us together.  We have been chosen by the people to individually and collectively serve them. As servants of the people, we are expected to be humble, focused, committed, and dedicated in the discharge of our various duties, be at the Executive, the Legislature, or the Judiciary.

“This service we render should be selfless.  It should be total.  It should add value to the lives of the populace. It should be devoid of pecuniary expectations.  It should be motivated by sacrifice, love, and a true sense of duty. It should be driven by passion with an eye on history, not on fleeting momentary gains or adulation. Since 1999, many illustrious sons and daughters of Imo State have sat where you are currently seated.  How many of them do you readily remember? That is the question.  You have to make your mark through selfless service so that long after you are gone, both from here and life itself, people would acclaim and say, yes, he was here.

“That, Mr. Speaker, Honourable members, is what is called a legacy. It is called leaving footprints on the annals of history. As David D Eisenhower once said, ‘The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionable integrity.’ That is what I crave that all of us leave for the people of Imo State when we leave the stage.  I am happy that this house is on the same page with me in achieving this goal.

“The motion you recently passed urging the Executive to engage in public, private partnership in the development of our dear state gladdens my heart. It demonstrates that you are in sync with me on the roadmap to the development of our state. I wish to sincerely commend you for that bold, timely, and visionary initiative.

“Just like the defunct house, you have given a practical expression to the synergistic relationship between the Executive and the Legislature in the state.  You have behaved like the patriots that you are.  Although there is a constitutional separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislative arms, you have proved that the tongue and the teeth need to work together for a friction-free relationship inside the mouth. For that, I salute you again.

“In this regard, I am glad to inform you that we are working round the clock to tap into the rich potentials that abound in the Public, Private, Partnership space.  As you very well know, the era of governments running businesses is now history. It has been proven beyond all reasonable doubts that government is a bad manager of businesses. What is trending in the global economy is Public Private Partnership. This way, government provides the enabling environment and logistics for the private sector to invest and manage businesses. Consequently, my administration is exploring Public Private Partnership opportunities in the Power sector, Agriculture, Oil and gas, and Digital Economy.

“In the area of power generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity within the state and beyond.  I have set up the Electricity Regulatory Commission to ensure that all the necessary things are done. The first phase of the project, which is the commencement of electricity generation distribution and transmission, will be commissioned in January. The second phase, which will provide the 27 local governments in the state with 24/7 electricity, will be completed in good time. The exciting news is that this project is at no direct cost to the government except for the provision of the enabling environment and logistics to make power available to our people.

“In the same vein, the government has facilitated through Public Private Partnership another agreement for the building of a 200-bed and operations of Marriot Hotel in Owerri and the complete rehabilitation and operations of Concorde Hotel.  These are projects that would come in handy when our state becomes the industrial hub of the southeast.  Our tourist industry will become the immediate beneficiary with the attendant economic development, generation of employment and skills.

“As part of this effort to make Imo an industrial hub, the government is vigorously pursuing the dredging of Oguta Lake to the Atlantic Ocean. Already, the pre-dredging activities of the project has been completed.  The dredging proper is about to commence. This will surely open up the state for investment and facilitate the economic growth of the entire South East. A number of Gas-related small and medium scale international concerns have already queued up waiting patiently to take advantage of the free trade zone status of the area to invest in oil and gas. I believe that this House will in your usual manner collaborate with the Executive to ensure that there is no hindrance in the realization of the Orashi Free Trade Zone potentials and related matters.

“As you have noticed, my second tenure has taken off on a fast track just as the first tenure. As I declared during my second tenure inauguration, there would be no lethargy or complacency.  My mission of leaving enduring legacies still remains on course.  All the projects and policies necessary for the development of our state are on course.

“Indeed, the Assumpta Flyover is one of our signature projects.The road revolution is still ongoing all around the state.  Soon, another iconic project, the Owerri-Mbaise-Umuahia road, will be commissioned. In the next few weeks, the Imo State International Conference centre, an edifice to behold, will be commissioned. You are all living witnesses to the final completion of the night landing facilities for the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport awaiting official commissioning by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).  Upon commissioning, aircrafts will routinely land at night.  We are currently working on the extension of the runway to ensure that bigger aircrafts can land there anytime. This is in readiness for the full take-off of the airport as an international cargo airport.

“The empowerment of 300,000 youths through the Skillup Imo project in the digital economy is still ongoing, the same with payment of salaries, pensions, and gratuities. I shall continue to meet all our statutory obligations.  Besides, our resolve to run an open, transparent, and accountable administration remains unshaken. Soon, I shall be convening stakeholders meeting to again render an account of my stewardship to the good people of Imo State.”

Earlier in his remarks, Rt. Hon Olemgbe welcomed the Governor with his entourage, reminding him of the number of bills and motions they have successfully worked on during the year under review.

He thanked God for the enablement to successfully complete the first session of the 10th Assembly which rounded off on June 16, 2024 and appreciated Governor Uzodimma for his “support and necessary assistance that have made our work easy and seamless.”

He described the Governor’s visit as a motivation for members of the House of Assembly and thanked him for finding time to celebrate with them.

The Speaker also acknowledged and appreciated his colleagues for their “cooperation, dedication to duty and unity of purpose,” saying he cannot take that for granted.

He promised better legislative years ahead where more bills and motions that will continue to better the lots and of Imo people will be enacted.

Rt. Hon Olemgbe also assured of “continued open door policy, transparent and accountable leadership,” saying he will not disappoint the House, the Governor and people of Imo State with God on his side.

The Deputy Governor of Imo State, Lady (Dr.) Chinyere Ekomaru, Senator Patrick Ndubueze ( Okigwe Zone), APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Emma Enukwu, former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, Secretary to the State Government, Chief Cosmos Iwu, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie and members of the Imo State expanded Executive Council joined the Governor at the ceremony.