Fred Chukwuelobe, you are wrong on Imo Summit

By Oguwike Nwachuku

This morning, I read on the Facebook page of my brother, friend, and colleague, Chief Fred Chukwuelobe, a piece I considered was ill- conceived on the two- day Imo Economic Summit holding in Owerri- December 4 -5, 2025.

Fred, a very senior colleague, was once the Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Chris Ngige of Anambra State, and possesses enough experience to analyse and comment on matters of public interest.

And he does that from time to time, occasionally descending on those in power who do not share the same political or leadership sympathy with him.

On several occasions I had called him to share some insight with him on his pieces, commended him when he got it right and flayed him when he wrote from where he appeared. So, I would say we enjoy friendly cum brotherly cum professional relationship, hence this intervention.

The subject matter that drew the ire of Fred is the ongoing Imo Economic Summit. He hid under the subject matter to express his disdain for former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, one of the guests, to call the Summit a wild goose chase and a jamboree.

Yes, I have the feeling Fred has a beef with Boris Johnson or leaders in his mould who are often engaged by countries or institutions for one event or the other as guest speakers, and as a way of leveraging their experiences while in office to advance the course of societal change.

Contrary to Fred’s thinking that the Summit was a wild goose chase and a jamboree, it has gone down well in the history of Imo State in particular, and Nigeria at large, that the Summit is one of the best ever to be organised by a sub national in the Country.

In case Fred does not know, the list of leaders, national and international that graced the Summit opening is too long.They are personalities who have made their marks in their chosen areas of human endeavour – politics, oil and gas, banking, ICT, health, education, commerce and industry, to name but a few.

They include but not limited to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria (represented), President Joseph Boakai of Liberia, President Amina Akim of Mauritius, Prime Minister Americo Ramos of Sao Tome and Principe, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki- Moon, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy of Nigeria, Mr. Wale Edun, President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Governors of Edo (Monday Okpebholo), Ekiti (Abiodun Oyebanji), Ondo (Lucky Aiyedatiwa), Yobe (Mai Mala Bumi), former Africa import -export Bank CEO, Prof Benedict Oramah, among others too numerous to mention.

Obviously, it must have been in bad light that Fred decided to pick on Boris Johnson and Ban Ki- Moon as former public office holders and portrayed them as leaders who attended the Summit because they were paid.

“Johnson is part of world leaders bankrolled by Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo State on a wild goose chase and jamboree called Imo State Economic Summit 2025,” Fred had mischievously written.

Like I said earlier, except Fred has an outstanding issue to iron out with Boris Johnson and he saw in his Imo State visit the opportunity, I do not think it was reasonable for him to lampoon a man of that calibre who, regardless of what he must have been told about the security situation in Nigeria, to come and see things for himself.

Yes, insecurity is a challenge in Nigeria, but there is no where on the surface of the earth where there are no pockets of insecurity. Boris Johnson is not an ordinary person who should not be allowed to think for himself. Or is it because he was the guest of Governor Hope Uzodimma who, probably Fred does not like his face, that the insinuation of inducement became a sine qua non for the Summit he attended to be rubbished?

Why is Fred annoyed that Boris Johnson said he couldn’t see the reason for the politically hyped insecurity in Imo when he attended the Summit? Whatever happens to the popular axiom, “seeing is believing?” He came, he saw and he spoke out. He said he feels safe in Nigeria and you are angry, why? If mere miscreants who stumbled on money can fly around on chattered flight, why should someone of the social standing of Boris Johnson be denied the opportunity if he can afford it? Even if it was paid for, do people no longer get paid for services they render? If the whole idea was not to cause public dissaffection why should the flight Boris Johnson flew on rankle with him? Again, what is wrong in people making a living from public speaking if the ideas they market are impactful?

Away from Boris Johnson, who wouldn’t want to have former UN Secretary General, Ki-Moon grace his event whether it is politically or economically primed?

I cannot believe that Fred, in good conscience, described an event where these calibre of national and global icons in politics and business attended as a wild goose chase and a jamboree.

If only Fred knew that since the creation of Imo State, barely 50 years ago, no such Summit on how to unlock the economic potential of the State had taken place, he would, without delay, apologise to the Government and good people of Imo State for insulting their sensibilities.

Not a single Imo indigene, including non indigenes who are familiar with the State,
is saying something against the well-organised and well-attended Summit except Fred Chukwuelobe. Why?

Part of the problem Fred is having is that he has not bothered to find out what has been happening in Imo State since Hope Uzodimma mounted the saddle about Six years ago. He prefers to believe rumours on social media platforms and those that emanate from eateries and Bar spots
(even though he is not a frivolous person) to carrying out his own independent investigation about what governance in Imo has become under Governor Uzodimma.

The reason there is jubilation in Imo over the Summit is not just that economic and business eggheads gathered to brainstorm, but because the Governor has laid a solid foundation upon which the Imo State of our collective dream can rest upon if successive governments coming after him build and follow through on the already laid solid foundation for economic sustenance stability.

When we say “Imo has risen” it is because the government of the day has done a lot to keep it on the rising mode till now. The necessary infrastructure to align with the dream of the Summit are available. The security situation is good and will keep getting better. The pool of resourceful human capital is available. The will of the people to have Imo become their home, with all they need to be happy in Nigeria is also available.

Imo people are happy with the good road network that is connecting them together. They are happy that they can generate their own electricity, courtesy of the efforts of the government of the day, they are excited about the efforts to take their teaming unemployed youths off the labour market using the Skill-Up Imo Programme that has prepared the youths for public service and private sector employment, among others.

The worst thing that can happen to the dream of the people is the negative evaluation of the real situation of things in Imo the way my friend Fred has done.

If one of the benefits of the Summit is the promise made by President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to invest hugely in any area the government and people of Imo State deem fit is a wild goose chase and a jamboree, then let the wild goose chase and jamboree continue.

I really think that what may be giving Fred concern is the fact that Imo State has been brought to the global economic and business limelight by Governor Uzodimma, the man many love to under rate his capacity.

But the deed has already been done, hence there is nothing anybody can do about the risen Imo.

… Nwachuku wrote from Owerri.