For Imo to develop, we have to call a spade a spade. Imolites have to eschew antagonism and tell ourselves the bitter truth, because truth cannot be shuffled no matter how bitter it tastes.
In the south Eastern region , Imo state have invested too much energy, time and resources in democratic struggles and their efforts are gradually yielding results; as such , the option of authoritarianism is certainly not on the table for the state.
It is important to note therefore that the election that brought Governor Hope Uzodinma’s re-election bid is over and the stage has resonated for governance.
In the words of Jimmy Carter, ” We are a strong state and we will maintain strength so sufficient that it need not to be proven in combat. A quite strength based not merely on the size of arsenal, but on the nobility of ideas.
“We will be ever vigilant and never vulnerable, and we will fight our wars against poverty, ignorance and injustice, for those are enemies against which our forces can be honourably marshaled.
Unarguably, a strong , credible and useable bureaucracy will definitely help to deliver services efficiently and also support the leadership in crafting the state vision and developmental plan.
A trusted bureaucracy will not only implement the policies of government, it will promote public confidence in the state and its Leadership. These developmental capacities must be worked upon to give the state the desired transformation:
Industrial real estate, airport services, oil and gas project logistics, rural agro revamping, remote infrastructural services, freight, logistics, warehousing, bulk fuel, transport and storage, private sector and government services.
Besides, if government were a poison, many are excited to see Uzodinma’s administration swallow it publicly. But because the pilot of the ship of governance understands the importance of empowerment in the business of governance, his records will likely beat that of the ever thought best in the history of Imo state Nigeria.
Several times and tenures, it has been adjudged that the government has the habit of imposing its will rather than responding to popular demands.
The Government’s use of force to respond to grievances is the main cause of escalation.
There are unprecedented upheavals on which both the local and foreign businesses are killed to the lowest common multiple LCM.
Insecurity is a major killer of business prosperity and government services in any location or any part of the world such is affected.
Bad roads have closed down many local businesses, from small shops to big hotels and from night life to crumple sight seeing and tourism.
Agitations, Protests and Youth restiveness can also blow down the speed of governance and possibly lead to incessant strike actions by several unions. This was practicable on a recent date when NLC President was having rifts with the government.
Air travel , electricity supply, fuel, banks etc were shutdown weeks before it was lifted. Such shutdown affected the masses and in adversely crumpled the economy.
Killings of fellow human beings for whatsoever reason or mission is bedevilling the society nowadays. However, Patriots always talk of dying for their states but never killing for their state or country. Killings is therefore Man’s inhumanity to Man.
We have to start seeing all of us as citizens of the world irrespective of tribal sentiments, sex, language. Tolerance and large measure of humility can keep us growing. As a literal writer and peace advocate, I’ll enjoin all Imolites and my readers all over the world to construct defenses of peace than war, since both anchors in our mindsets.
These major killers of Prosperity and growth are upheavals and set back. Such can also make people live in fear of the unknown as part of a stay -at- home campaign or out of fear of reprisals by the opposition if they do not participate.
There are also reports of boycotts on beer and other consumer products manufactured by companies that are believed to have ties with the government.
Anti – government protests are degenerating into ethnic, regional or zonal violence in some areas. Government is not supposed to fall prey to online activists. Woe to those that say the recent wave online practitioners has brought to shaping the government or the society is not recognized.
Online activists have to be carried along in the scheme of governance because the world is fast growing in the area of online industry and global technology than it used to be in decades ago.
Report has it that most of the ongoing protests across the globe are led by online activists and majority of them are based outside of the states and countries of original. This is because of the fear of undue attack or dehumanizing their personality. But a good government create a good environment to allow opposition grow.
Primarily, the times and tenures of Imo governors till date are akin to one good or bad record credited to it. The first term of Uzodinma is synonymous with supreme court judgement but he will outlive such backward memory of the opposition by his signature projects in this second tenure and bringing the charter of equity to an actionable reality.
Imo state is known as a civil service state but from Governor Hope Uzodinma’s time, Imo will expand its horizon to an industrial based and economic hub. For the sake of importance, while the Governor is working on roads, the seaport project has to be completed and be functional in his time. Such achievement will bear an unforgettable tag in the minds of generational Imolite.
His administration is expected to create more layouts for both business, industrial and residential expansion. The Orlu regional market have to commence operation while finding a lasting solution to bringing the unknown faces of disturbing militants in the state to order.
In looking for more ways to industrialize and develop the state to the envy of other neighboring states, Uzodinma’s second term can give a resounding fast push to the actualisation of such growth and whosoever will be his successor will key in to continue from where he’ll eventually stop and grow onward.
This syndrome of abandonment of important projects embarked upon by successive administrations is not a healthy one. In Imo state for instance, there are projects that can be married by the present government to progress the state. The link roads to new Owerri which are segmented in phases should not be abandoned. The huge structural edifice located at New market Owerri and IICC can turn good sources of revenue to the state and others.
Touring the Local Government Area council headquarters, one will imagine the type of administration we run in Imo state. Lack of proper administration, lack of projects, lack of agrofarms, lack of allocation of funds. These errors if corrected immediately and put in motion coupled with the unwavering 3R policy plan , I assure my readers that Imo will progress rapidly within the next two years.
Nobody can remove Akwa Ibiom and Enugu road revolution from being second to known in the South East region. During Dave Umahi, Ebonyi was ranked best among the fast developing states with quality roads in Nigeria.
In this recent Otti’s administration, I think, Abia state completing his legacy policy , may not be ranked as the worst developing state anymore in Nigeria. Reason is that the works are seen manifested than it used to be. The Governor is dealing on roads and infrastructures.
It is our prayer to see Imo state grow and return their record to the former cleanest state in Nigeria. Imo can also establish good developmental strides and economic hub in Uzodinma’s administration and onwards.
For Imo state to grow rapidly, the Governor have to swiftly face Governance and begin to consolidate on the gains of transformations to do more for the state. Governance mustn’t be a time to dine and wine for mere rhetorics and jamboree. Let the talks be the action to convince the populace because the people are in long expectation to witness good governance in Imo.
The Imo state revenue base mustn’t be only targetted on hotels and tax payers. The more the state is set for economic boom, factories, companies, oil firms, agro produce, Aerospace and logistics services will increase the IGR automatically. On this therefore Imo state need a good economic and well secured environment to work out the policies.
Faced with the challenges of food shortage, lack electricity, the Imo state government have to search for ways to develop rural communities.
The operators of a functional local government system are expected to play good roles in rural development, grassroots governance and human capital empowerment.
Regrettedly, the Local Government Council system is dwelling on total drowsiness, blindfolded articulation and lack of funding.
Our rural communities are supposedly developed by the third tier ,which is the local government sector -if they are well funded as the constitution of the Federal Republic stipulated. There has to be total functional autonomous status granted to the local government area councils.
I recall in the old days, when IRROMA was introduced, Health Inspectors, farm produce and rapid developments got to the Grassroots through the agents of the local government. Nowadays, such functional organs are killed by maladministration and mis-governance.
It is the expectation of all Imolites to witness a total revamping of every moribund sector to begin operation under Governor Hope Uzodinma’s administration.
Additionally, Imolites are not suppose to be thirsty for power and hungry for food. Government is expected to look into the rural areas and establish agro farms and productive businesses to curb this grudging menace. Hunger can turn to be an attack on the government, if no practicable solution is proffered.
A democratic development state can fast track and promote sustained economic growth, facilitate industrialisation, improve human capital and reform social policy towards enhanced citizen welfare in society.
It is the state that has the capacity not only to mobilize the citizens for development, but also a strong capacity to promote capital accumulation through support of the private sector and allocative and distributive powers to achieve set economic and social ends.
It is bluntly noted that Imo state’s success calls for a lot of caution. From record, Imo has not achieved any mean feat. Imo is only being unfortunate with governance since establishment of the state. It is only back to where it was in the pre- crises years and has not yet surpassed it. Honestly, the speed of progress in Imo state is too slow and all the Governors who have served the state both past and present are challenged to give answers to the downfall of the state.
The answers in other words, must be transmuted to practical application of governance and coming together of all stakeholders irrespective of political divide, to push the state move forward than leading the state to oblivion.
History will ever remember our respected statesmen and Former Governors from:
@Military Rule:
Ndubuisi Kanu Governor March 1976- 1977.
Adekunle Lawal Governor 1977-July 1978
Sunday Ajibade Adenihun Governor July 1978- Oct 1979.
@Nigeria’s Second Republic: NPP
Samuel Onunaka- Mbakwe [1] Governor 1 Oct 1979 -31 Dec 1983
Ike Nwachukwu [2] Governor Jan 1984 – Aug 1985
Military :
Allison Amakoduna Madueke [3] Governor Aug 1985 -1986
Military :
Amadi Ikwechegh [4] Governor 1986 -1990
Military :
Anthony E. Oguguo [5] Governor Aug 1990 Jan- 1992
NRC Nigerian Third Republic:
Evan Enwerem [6] Governor Jan 1992 -Nov 1993
James N.J. Aneke [7] Administrator 9 Dec 1993-22 Aug 1996
Military :
Tanko Zubairu [8] Administrator 22 Aug 1996- May 1999
Achike Udenwa [9] Governor 29 May 1999- 29 May 2007 PDP Nigerian Fourth Republic.
Ikedi G. Ohakim [10] Governor 29 May 2007- 29 May 2011-PPA / PDP
Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha [11] & [12] Governor 29 May 2011 29 May -2019 APC
Emeka Ihedioha [13] Governor 29 May 2019 15 January- 2020 -PDP
Hope Uzodinma [14] & [15] Governor 15 January 2020 till date of this publication by Amb Princely Onyenwe.
Governor Hope Uzodinma’s re-election at second tenure will be marked as one of the best if the transition to a workable Charter of Equity is practicable and expectedly the establishment of the first Imo SeaPort and refineries are accomplished as contained and in his 3R shared prosperity policy.
Therefore, the much hyped economic growth that Imo State has celebrated is not a qualitative sort before the emergence of Uzodinma’s administration.
The policy and institutional shifts are required to help foster the development changes Imolites urgently needs.
It is expected of Uzodinma’s second term to not only run, but jump while other states walk. This second term must not be years to argue politics but season of action and redoubled efforts to take Imo state to a greater height.
It is also a critical time to breathe a new air of governance through the Imo Charter of Equity as embedded into law. It is expected of Uzodinma’s government to look out for a proactive and foresighted democrat successor from Owerri Zone to succeed him in 2027.
No doubt, it will also be a challenging time for the Owerri zone to eschew rancour and forge a common front that shows their preparedness to provide leadership as Governor Uzodinma has pointed out.
Summarily, I posit that if things are applied as expected and as agreed upon, the sequence of Governorship rotation is a sure way to Imo prosperity and with that , governance can go round to reduce the hiccups in Imo governance system.
The inclusivity of the affirmative quota of the Youth and Women in governance will serve as a panacea to participatory politics in a democratic state like Imo.
In furtherance, I will say that Imo state needs to go beyond the ‘rising’ by featuring foresighted but democratic leadership, capable institutions, and a strong and useable bureaucracy which are major elements of a democratic developmental state. This will make Imo proud again.
This script is originally written by me: Ambassador Princely Onyenwe Esq on this 26th day of November, 2023.
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