By Nwamkpa Modestus (KSM)
It was President Buhari himself who succinctly captured the true description of what Governor Uzodimma has done in Imo state within this period of two and half years.. The President, while being driven along the internationally standard.reconstructed Orlu/Owerri road penultimate week, apparently to show his surprise and joy, had looked at Governor Uzodimma tight inside his eyes and said to him " Your Excellency, you have written your own sorry. I wonder what any Governor would invite me again to commission in his state that will be more than this" He also repeated this same statement while addressing a cross section of Imo people that same day.
Two weeks after the president had visited Imo, Governor Uzodimma again stoned the people with arguably the biggest of achievements that gladdened the hearts of all Igbo people in general and Imo people in particular. The Governor, few days ago announced the approval he secured from the federal government for the dredging of the Orashi/Njaba/Oguta lake River down to the Atlantic Ocean that will see to the realization of the first ever Sea Port in the South East. Just two days ago, top officials of the Nigeria Navy and Nigerian Inland Water Ways Authority (NIWA) were in Imo state to fine tune the processes ahead of the commencement of work. They, together with the Governor visited the areas in Oguta LGA.
However, while Imo people savour the concomitant joy attached to the project, it is important to point out that these great achievements were only possible because the Governor established and has kept a very cordial relationship with the President and the federal government instead of staying in Imo to attack the centre and the president. So it is right to say that these achievements were the bye products of that relationship. This is just a fact.
It is not easy to have the president visit a state twice with a year and also have the same president obliged to commission projects in the same state three times within 18 months in an administration that is two and half years. Except, perhaps for the president's own state Kastina state where he regularly visits to observe Muslim festivities, no other state in Nigeria has broken that record except Imo under Uzodimma.
It is an incontrovertible fact that Senator Hope Uzodimma has shown in clear terms that when other leaders are sitting down, he is standing up and when they stand up, he gets outstanding. The Governor has done things that hitherto were considered impossible or beyond the capacity of any state Governor. He has demonstrated an uncommon courage and a clear vision that are rare in many leaders. He has indeed, like an Eagle soared above the sea level. He has shown that he is not at the same thinking level with those who stay here in Imo or Abuja to only conjecture petty gossip and blackmail against the Governor with the view to dragging him down. While they continue to do this, Uzodimma has continued to show stamina of resistance and has continued towering.
As the Governor himself had said, the dredging of the Orashi River when completed will translate to massive economic boom for the South East and has the potential of generating over 350 thousand direct and indirect jobs for the teeming youths of our region. Clearly, this is the biggest project and the key that wlll unlock the latent treasure in the soil of South East zone. It is a salutary development fot the Igbos particularly with the high business velocity of the Igbos. You can imagine having Ships carrying goods of our businessmen and women from abroad landing here instead of Lagos or Calabar. It will save billions of naira in landing and clearing cost which in turn will translate to huge revenue and gain to Imo and Anambra states.
It is also instructive to observe that aside from the construction of the two federal roads of Orlu to Owerri and Owerri to Okigwe and the attraction of the dredging of the Orashi River, the governor has equally attracted some audacious federal government projects here in Imo state. Recall that only few weeks ago, the Governor Sen Hope Uzodimma got the approval of the President to establish a FUTO teaching hospital at FMC Owerri and equally got the federal government to elevate the status of ALVAN Ikoku federal College of Education to now a federal University of education.
Additionally, the Governor equally got the approval of the federal government to award a 10Megawatts hydro electricity sub station at the novel Balllon technology site at Otamiri/Nwaorie River. This, when actualized will ensure an interrupted power supply in the state particularly within Owerri Urban with a boom in business. These are laudable projects that could only be achieved in a state that has a visionary leader like Hope Uzodimma. And also in a state that has a good relationship with the centre which is a departure from what obtained in the past when such relationship was stunted.
Overall, what these imply is that Imo state has a Governor who is prepared and equipped for leadership. Imo has a man who thinks and looks while standing on the shoulders of Giants. Imo has a Governor who has developed a strong impunity against all forms of infectious blackmail and pull Him down Syndrome in the state. I therefore glorify God that I have as a Boss a man who is behind these unprecedented and great achievements.
Truthfully Yours, Nwamkpa Modestus is my name and I approve of this piece.
Post a Comment