The dark days have given way to a new dawn of peace and prosperity in Imo State. This is true. Nothing else is a better indicator than the most recent crime statistics across the nation, as released by the Ministry of Police Affairs.
We have it on the report’s authority that Imo has recorded one of the lowest crime rates in Nigeria over the past year. Go and verify!
Let us break it down. While Imo experienced zero cases of banditry in twelve solid months, the state further posted one of the lowest cases of armed robbery nationally— just 3 cases in one full year! The contrast becomes clearer when compared to Enugu and Abia, each of which recorded 17 cases of armed robbery within the same period. Rivers and Edo States also recorded 15 and 14 cases, respectively.
In other indices of insecurity, namely kidnapping and murder, Imo also has one of the fewest cases in the country. Imo’s single digits in both instances are nothing short of heartwarming, given Enugu’s 99 and 60 cases, Delta’s 47 and 36 cases, or even Taraba’s 200 and 155 cases.
Away from these diachronic comparisons, a synchronic analysis of the security situation in Imo shows that this moment unarguably represents the safest period in the entire history of the state. For instance, the Punch Newspaper of August 28, 2016, citing an authoritative police source, reported that Imo was among the safest states in the country, even with 22 cases of armed robbery in the preceding year.
That was the record-breaking lowest Imo could attain at the time. But today, with the figure dropping to merely 3 cases, the verdict is simple and clear: the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma has delivered the best era of security of lives and property since Imo was created in 1976. To be sure, Imo people are now reaping the dividends of focused leadership.
One may marvel and ask: What has Governor Uzodimma really done to behead this monster of insecurity in Imo and keep its offsprings permanently away from our shores? The answer is not far-fetched. A deft commitment to equipping and supporting the security agencies is just part of it. But, most importantly, the Uzodimma administration has prioritized the pursuit of progressive policies that address the root causes of insecurity.
By enrolling nearly 50,000 young people in the Skill-Up Imo Project, training them in various digital fields, and equipping them with the relevant gadgets, Imo has now become one of Africa’s greatest suppliers of skilled digital workforce to the global market. Enthused by this accomplishment, the Founder of Zinox Computers, Leo Stan-Ekeh, declared: “No government in Africa has done what Governor Hope Uzodimma is doing in Imo State.”
Indeed, this is a soft security initiative. It is always more effective to train people and engage them than to buy guns and build prisons. When young people find a pathway out of poverty, they are less likely to resort to crime. For the Uzodimma administration, this is an article of faith.
In a world that has become increasingly smaller through globalization, many thousands of Imo-born web and app developers, digital marketers, cybersecurity and AI experts trained and equipped by this administration have now taken center stage. The days of jobless, hemp-smoking, beer-guzzling, and gun-wielding youths are over for good in Imo State.
Additionally, in the last two years, the Uzodimma administration has transformed the business climate in Imo through the provision of essential infrastructure and sound economic policies. That Imo’s standing in the ease of doing business index improved by 11 places in two years should not be a surprise. It reflects a government that is intentional about eradicating social vices through economic prosperity.
In terms of the rate of business startups, Imo is now among the top 10 in the country. Better infrastructure, open governance, and a transparent tax system have ensured investor confidence and the inflow of investible capital into Imo State. More businesses and more jobs have ultimately translated to less crime and less insecurity.
Through good governance, Imo has triumphed at last! There is no better time to be proud of our state than now. As we rejoice and celebrate, let us never fail to give God all the glory for the gift of Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Collins Opurozor is the Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Electronic and Creative Media.
For inquiries on this news contact 9News Nigeria @08036856526
