Gov Hope Uzodimma, FUTO, Aluta Continua

Photo: Gov Hope Uzodimma (right) with the VC FUTO Prof Nnenna Otti.

By Oguwike Nwachuku

It was the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato who said that “if a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life.”

A reflection into Plato’s summation on education will help us understand properly the import of the conferment of the award of Honorary Doctorate Degree on the Governor of Imo State, Distinguished Sen. Hope Uzodimma, CON by the leadership of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Mrs. Nnenna Otti had in a letter to the Governor communicating him about his choice of the award said, “Council has ratified the approval of FUTO Senate that you be conferred with the Honourary Degree of Doctor of Management (DMT), Honoris Causal at our University’s Convocation ceremony scheduled to hold on Saturday, December 7, 2024.”

Prof Otti did not stop there. She added that Governor Uzodimma was so honoured because of his “decades of meritorious, selfless, and outstanding services that have positively impacted the lives of the good people of Imo State, the nation and humanity generally.”

As I write, messages of congratulations from within the country and outside have started pouring in. Well wishers of the Governor have indicated their interest in coming to witness the conferment of the honour on a man of many parts, but more importantly, a man who has devoted his life to the service of humanity and God.

Few factors are worth our looking into regarding the award.

First is that FUTO’s Senate has not only paid attention to the life of the man they have carefully chosen to honour, but also taken their time to evaluate his inspirational leadership style since he mounted the saddle as Governor of Imo State in 2020.

Uzodimma, every one knows, came into politics from the private sector. While in private practice as a successful businessman, his name was synonymous with philanthropy and care for the downtrodden, and the weak

Thus, he devoted his energy, time and resources for the care of the needy around him, a situation many people seized the opportunity to go to school and acquire education based on his magnanimity, and eventually free themselves from the fear that Plato raised concerning those who neglect education.

Uzodimma’s entry into politics, for those who can read his mind, was not for the purpose of going in search of what to eat, drink and where to live, as we can see from many politicians today.

Rather, his was for the realisation of his dream of many years to leverage government to help as many people as possible to exit from the agony poverty, ignorance, lack through the instrumentality of proper education and other decent ways of living, like learning a trade.

Therefore, joining the Senate in 2011 when he did helped Uzodimma to properly horn his idea on how to do what he has always known how best to do – serve the people. At the Senate, his impact was equally pronounced.

Related to the factor above is FUTO’s conviction that Uzodimma has demonstrated so much passion for, and commitment to the course of educational advancement of Imo State and her people. That is to say, that the Governor understands too well the impact education can have on the human capital development of a society of which Imo State is one.

Under Uzodimma’s watch as Governor, investment in the education sector, both at the secondary and tertiary level became topnotch. It yielded positive impact when viewed from the performance of the students from Imo who took part in the external examinations such as the West African Senior Secondary School examination, the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and, even the Law School where our sons and daughters excelled above their colleagues.

Uzodimma has not lost sight of the fact that Imo people have always been noted for their love for education. Unfortunately, before he became Governor, not much was known any longer about the people’s first love which is education. Instead , Imo was fast becoming the butt of the society in the sector.

Uzodimma took it as a challenge to return the state to what it used to be and that passion made him to stake resources for the proper funding of five higher institutions in Imo – Imo State University, Owerri, KO Mbadiwe University in Ogboko, Ideato, University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo, Imo State Polytechnic Omuma, and Ben Uwajumogu College of Education, Ihitte Uboma.

To add to these tertiary institutions are also Schools of Nursing and Midwifery located in the three senatorial zones of Imo, and also being funded by the government under Uzodimma.

One would have thought that the presence of other federal high institutions in Imo – Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Federal University of Education, Owerri and the Federal Polytechnic, Owerri – would have posed a challenge to Uzodimma as their host. Far from that. Instead, the governor delights in doing whatever he thinks will make the federal institutions roar in performance and be the best they could in a competitive environment.

It was with such mindset that Uzodimma fought doggedly to ensure that the former Federal Medical Centre, Owerri became a Teaching Hospital to serve FUTO’s purposes following the introduction of School of Medicine and Surgery in the University, and that the former Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri became a degree awarding Federal University, versed in teaching methodology and research.

No Governor of Imo State has taken the issue of youth empowerment and development in line with modern technology seriously the way Uzodimma does. Reason? He understands too well how human capital development, through proper education or skill acquisition can change the fortune of the society. With that in mind, Uzodimma became the first Governor in the country to create a ministry of Digital Economy and E- Government, having in mind the future alignment of globalization and job mobility regardless of boundary habitation.

Today in Imo, thousands of youths are proud graduates of Skill-Up Imo, a programme that affords them the opportunity to be either self employed or work in any part of the world using the skill they have acquired.

Indeed, too many inspirational leadership attributes of Uzodimma in other sectors outside of Education that have attracted a lot of benefits to the State and the people as Otti pointed out litter the landscape of Imo.

In the area of roads, he has made nonsense of the hypothesis, before now, that acid rain was instrumental to poor and badly constructed road networks in Imo. Uzodimma broke that jinx of lies with the superlative construction work on the Owerri-Okigwe, Owerri-Orlu and Owerri-Mbaise-Umuahia roads, in particular as well as the metropolitan and rural roads, among others.

In the health sector, he has shown that a link between primary health, secondary health and health Insurance programme is capable of guaranteeing the people the good health they have always lacked, and consequently, the improvement in their life expectancy.

Methinks what Uzodimma has done in other sectors of the society since coming to political limelight in Imo State and by extension the country, are capable of winning him unending accolades if taken out and considered dispassionately.

What, perhaps, is peculiar about the FUTO award is that Uzodimma deserves it based on what he has been able to do within five years of mounting the saddle. He merits it. He worked for it without knowing.

To yours sincerely, I see the honour FUTO is bestowing on Uzodimma as a call for more work. Given the popular adage which says there is no hiding place for the golden fish, I wish to see my principal continue on the trajectory of his selfless and committed service to humanity and God, until all his detractors are roundly put to perpetual shame for distracting his good intentions for all of us.

In the book, “Choose to make a difference- 10 keys for living a life of impact” the author Seyi Wright said: “Don’t spend time proving that you are right, rather, show people how they can do the right thing.”

I think Uzodimma has chosen to make a difference and we are all witnesses to the difference he has made in our lives, in our State, and in our country within a short period as has been confirmed by those who are in a position to know.

If I say it is yet morning by the day for Uzodimma, I must not be wrong.

However, for the honour, I can only say Aluta Continua to His Excellency and FUTO.

…Nwachuku, Chief Press Secretary/Special Adviser Media to the Governor wrote from Owerri.