Uzodimma as Imo’s history in the making

By Oguwike Nwachuku

Today, April 11, 2025 all roads will lead to the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, where the Vanguard Media Limited, publishers of the Vanguard, will honour one of Nigeria’s most outstanding, committed and performing governors, Dist Sen. Hope Odidika Uzodimma of Imo State.

Governor Uzodimma, CON, Chairman of Progressives Governor’s Forum, Chairman of South East Governor’s Forum, among others, was chosen to be honoured in the 2024 Vanguard Personality of the Year Award for Good Governance.

Uzodimma’s is in the area of Infrastructure.
And the organisers have taken note of Uzodimma’s giant strides since he assumed office in 2020 before choosing him for the honour.

In what has become public knowledge as regards road revolution and other legacy infrastructural facilities that have germinated at different parts of the State and consequently, redefining the image and landscape of Imo State, the award also tells a lot about the personality of the recipient.

It is important to note that Vanguard had traced the history of infrastructural development embarked upon by Governor Uzodimma’s administration against the sordid State of roads he inherited on mounting the saddle, January 15, 2020.

For instance, they observed that Governor Uzodimma had not only constructed and reconstructed more than 100 roads, including the dualisation of the popular Owerri-Orlu Road, Owerri-Okigwe Road, Owerri-Mbaise-Obowo-Umuahia Road, among numerous others, but gone ahead to revive other decayed infrastructure and initiated new ones.

In her own publication communicating the public on the choice of Uzodimma the Vanguard had noted that, “the Governor also made a significant difference in urban renewal, provision of night landing facilities at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri and rehabilitated the Owerri Water Works which had been abandoned for more than 15 years.”

“The interesting phenomenon about the Uzodimma’s road revolution is that they have added value to the economic development of the State as well as connecting Imo to all the neighbouring States,” the medium had added in the said publication to defend the choice of the Governor as worthy of their honour.

The Vanguard gladly expressed satisfaction that Governor Uzodimma recorded such feats in infrastructural development without neglecting investment in human capital development and social services, noting, for instance, that the training of more than 40,000 youths in the area of digital technology by his administration with the aim of boosting the economy of the State, was highly commendable.

They, therefore, concluded that given what Governor Uzodimma had done with infrastructure in Imo, he has set the State on the path of economic revival.

Let me be clear. This award by the revered Vanguard Media Limited is not the first to be received by Governor Uzodimma since he became the Chief Executive Officer of Imo State five years ago. Rather, it has added to the numerous awards, both locally and internationally, he has been receiving, including the 2021 Governor of Year Award by the Sun.

But we thank the Board, management and staff of the medium for, again, leaving up to the expectations of the public as their mirror in relation to governance and government activities.

The reality is that Governor Uzodimma’s
well-deserved recognition as the 2024 Vanguard Governor of the Year for Good Governance (Infrastructure), was not handed over to him on a platter. He earned it. And we are happy he did because he has proven beyond reasonable doubt, that he is history in the making in Imo State.

Perhaps I should use this opportunity to correct a recent mischievous assertion by one of Vanguard columnists who alluded that the Supreme Court handed the governorship of Imo State to Uzodimma on a platter in her final judgement on January 14, 2020 on the contentious 2019 Imo governorship election.

While we owe the public a duty to inform them accurately, it is important we are wary of reckless allusions and deliberate innuendos and falsehood peddled by fith columnists.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Supreme Court only ensured that the then helpless and hapless Uzodomma got justice following his mandate that was stolen through political gerrymandering, aftermath of complaints about electoral fraud that resulted in court processes which started from the tribunal through to the Appeal Court and finally ended at the Apex Court.

It is therefore preposterous for a Columnist to make such an allusion even when the facts of the matter are in public domain. Sorry I digressed.

Back to the Vanguard show, if anything, the prestigious award is a manifestation of a resounding testament to the Governor’s unwavering commitment to selfless service, exemplary dedication to duty, and profound dedication to the well-being of the people of Imo State.

The recognition further underscores his exceptional leadership, remarkable capacity, and undeniable competence in delivering the dividends of democracy to our beloved Imo State in particular and elsewhere at large, staying true to the oath of office he took.

For me, and may be other keen watchers of this enigma of a man called Hope Uzodumma, the award has helped to silence his sceptics, the naysayers, and underscores the fact that the Governor is indeed on a mission to reshape the ugly narrative that was called Imo State before he assumed the mantle of leadership.

Furthermore, the award vindicates the unwavering faith of Governor Uzodimma’s teaming supporters, who, early enough, recognised his unparalleled ability to address the infrastructure deficit that plagued our State before he arrived in 2020 to take charge.

Those who were familiar with the state of affairs in Imo when Governor Uzodimma assumed power, and the overt and covert strategies deployed by his political opponents and their uniformed critics to destabilise him and make nonsense of his well though out programmes, will understand why yours sincerely appears a bit emotional in serenading the Governor over this honour.

The sceptics in question did not just deride Uzodimma’s visionary “Reconciliation, Rehabilitation, and Recovery” mantra which, today, has resonated powerfully across Imo State because of its positive impact, but they followed up their hatred for the Governor without justification by instigating contrived insecurity to make Imo State ungovernable for him.

Fortunately, Uzodimma’s impactful leadership in Imo, five years on, has made a huge difference.

In his first four years – 2020 – 2024, Uzodimma made a difference in virtually all the sectors of the State, beginning in earnest with the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the decayed infrastructure.

He built more than 120 solid roads traversing all the three senatorial zones of Imo.

Some of his signature roads in his first four years which is a study of quality and aesthetics include the hitherto intractable Owerri-Orlu Road, Owerri-Okigwe Road and the Naze-Ihiagwa-Nekede Road that connects two federal government owned institutions of higher learning – the Federal University of Technology, Owerri and the Federal Polytechnic, Owerri.

Uzodimma rebuilt from the scratch, during his first term, the Imo State House of Assembly Complex, an edifice built by former Governor Sam Mbakwe, but was left to rot by previous administrations who preferred to have the lawmakers make laws, either from bush bars, restaurants and shanties. Today, the wonder edifice called Imo House of Assembly Complex is not only the best in the country but has added to the dignifying status of our lawmakers as honourable members.

The reelection of Uzodimma in an historic landslide where he won in all the 27 local government areas of Imo State was a testament to his extraordinary performance in his first four years and made his swearing-in for a second term as the Governor of Imo State a carnival of sort.

All genuine Imo citizens, home or in the Diaspora, took part in celebrating Uzodimma’s reelection as his unprecedented electoral victory reflected the confidence of the people in the Governor who, previously, had impacted the State in such a manner as never witnessed before.

As was expected, at Uzodimma’s inaugural address for the second term, he had promised to consolidate on his record of achievements in the first tenure. He also pledged to work harder than he did in the previous four years. More importantly, he gave his word to continue to govern Imo with integrity, honesty, transparency, and accountability.

I can report that he has not deviated from any of his pledges.

Being in a transition within the same administration, Uzodimma did not waste time in continuously implementing his Shared Prosperity agenda encapsulated in reconstruction, rehabilitation, and recovery mantra. He also started the seamless transition to the industrialisation of the State, relying on the foundation earlier laid through an unprecedented infrastructural transformation in the first four years.

Uzodimma’s Road revolution has continued in the last one year in his second term with the Owerri-Mbaise-Obowo-Umuahia Road done and dusted and waiting for commissioning, and work progressing on the Orlu-Mgbee-Akokwa-Uga Road with the speed of light.

Work has also advanced at the iconic Assumpta Flyover which will decongest traffic at the busy Onitsha and Port Harcourt Roads.

What hitherto looked like a community town hall and mistakenly called Imo International Conference Centre, is today wearing the look of a real International Conference Centre after Uzodimma’s Midas touch was brought to bear. The now renamed Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre, completely rebuilt to world standards, nearing completion and ready for commissioning, has brought back the dignity of the citizens of Imo State as a people who are widely travelled and properly exposed to what international conference centres should be.

What about the dual carriageway to the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport that has been completed and commissioned, and the night landing facilities which have been installed by the State government to ensure night operation at the airport?

On a general note, all the roads built by Uzodimma have economic values as virtually all of them lead to the neighbouring States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu.Today the Governor has a new sobriquet – Road Master. I have also heard some people describe him as “Infrastructure wizard.”

The internal roads that hitherto, were death traps when Uzodimma took over have been fixed, just as an aggressive urban renewal programme has changed the landscape of Owerri metropolis, returning it to the cleanest city in the South East.

Through the deployment of the balloon technology, the perennial flooding in Owerri has been checked, a development that helped in the recovery of abandoned property along MCC, Chukwuma Nwoha, Relief market, and Ihechiowa roads.

The massive turn around in infrastructure
by the Uzodimma’s administration is an intentional effort to prepare the State for an industrial revolution and make the economy of Imo one of the strongest in the Eastern part of the country.

Already, the foundation for this had been laid with the dredging of the Orashi River to the Atlantic Ocean, which will open economic development in the entire South East. Luckily, the Orashi Free Trade Zone is already in place, while other sectors connected to the take off of the project are being approached with the dexterity they require.
I will cite just a few.

For instance, Governor Uzodimma’s administration has signed pact with a Turkish firm for the electrification of the entire Imo State with a view to providing a 24/7 supply of uninterrupted power in the State. The target is that before the end of this year, Imo State should be able to generate her own light after the Governor took advantage of the law that removed power generation from the exclusive list of the Nigerian Constitution and put it on the concurrent list.

The moribund Concorde Hotel is also being rehabilitated in conjunction with Hilton Hotel. The renovation has also gone far as the contractors are committed to their one year target.

The government, under the leadership of Governor Uzodimma, keeps winning award from the World Bank for its enviable record of ease of doing business and for budgetary accountability. All these point to the governor’s dedication towards enhancing the economy of the State.

Since Uzodimma became Governor five years ago, he has continuously allocated more funds to capital projects as against what used to happen before his arrival.

To further drive home his seriousness in this regard, the Governor devoted 80 per cent of the 2025 State budget of N807 billion to capital projects to drive the diversification of the economy from what is currently available.

Conscious of the fact that the citizens are key in the implementation of his prosperity agenda, Governor Uzodimma has initiated policies and programmes that have impacted directly on the people.

At the inception of his administration, he embarked on the rehabilitation of 305 Health Centres across the State, instituted free mobile clinics in rural areas, and revived the dying Imo Specialist Hospital, Umuguma and Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu.

Uzodimma built three brand new General Hospitals at Ohaji, Oguta and Omuma, and rehabilitated and equipped the existing ones across the State. He also revived and achieved accreditation for Schools of Nursing and Midwifery.

His interest in the areas of primary and secondary health care for the citizens led to the Imo Health Insurance Scheme, an idea that is globally known but only started getting attention with his administration. Today, thousands of Imo citizens – civil servants, pensioners and those in informal sectors – are proud beneficiaries of the great novel idea.
By and large, the needed difference has been made in the Imo health system, with the existence of two teaching hospitals, and the training and continuing graduation of medical doctors.

In education, against the one University Uzodimma met as Governor in 2020, he has increased it to three, thereby creating opportunities for students of Imo State origin to seek for admissions. Under Uzodimma, the State funds three Universities, one Polytechnic and one College of Education. It is on recorded that his collaboration with the federal government made the full upgrading of Alvan Ikoku College of Education to a University a reality.

Uzodimma has also engaged the Imo
youths not pursuing formal education via diverse empowerment programmes that have seen many of them emerge as employers of labour. Under the Skillup Imo Project, 40,000 youths have been primed to benefit from digital skills training. While many of the graduates of the scheme have already secured employment abroad, those at home are self-employed.

In the agricultural sector, Uzodimma has rehabilitated Adapalm Nigeria Limited abandoned many years ago. He has also revived the moribund Acharaubo Farm Settlements at Emekeukwu through public private partnership, thereby guaranteeing the employment of hundreds of people, and at the same time, supporting farmers with high yielding crops and other farm inputs to embark upon massive production of food.

These initiatives help to check significantly the migration from rural to urban areas and enhance food security.

Perhaps Uzodimma has received the greatest applause in the area of Civil Service reforms. Apart from the automation of the activities of the Service to tame the corruption that was previously prevalent in the payroll system, Uzodimma took the welfare of the civil servants more than seriously.

Today in Uzodimma’s Imo, nobody hears of non payment of salaries and pensions. Apart from civil servants receiving their salaries regularly (before the end of every month), they have continuously been paid 13th month salary since this administration berthed five years ago, with their promotions pending for the last 10 years approved and implemented.

In the early days of Uzodimma’s second tenure, he also approved the payment of gratuities to pensioners, which had been outstanding for 20 years. High Court, Customary Court judges, Magistrates, Permanent Secretaries now have official cars while the rank and file have been provided with free bus transport and one free meal a day.

In Imo, there is this popular saying within the workers rank that “under Uzodimma there is industrial harmony.” Of course the harmony and peace for the entire State have also been the preoccupation of the Governor since he assumed office because he believes that development can only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace.

Unfortunately, there are those who have sworn not to see Imo develop. They are the ones who have reduced everything to politics thereby vowing to make Imo ungovernable for him and for all us.

They had contrived insecurity in Imo State with bandits, sponsoring all manner of restiveness in collaboration with non state actors in an attempt to overrun the State.

But with the help of God, the assistance of the federal government and security agencies, Uzodimma has been able to check their excessive unbecoming demeanor and the menace up their sleeves.

Today, many citizens can return home to participate in any event of their choice and enjoy the peaceful celebration of such event. We saw it happen during the last Christmas celebrations and are confident the situation will be the same during the coming Easter holidays.

Expectedly, Owerri has once more reclaimed it’s status as the hospitality headquarters of Eastern Nigeria with many conferences and workshops now holding therein. Not only are the citizens indeed heaving a sigh of relief that Owerri has bounced back to life as the hospitality capital of the South East, their teaming visitors and guests to the city also do so.

Lest I forget, Uzodimma as the head of the executive and government has worked harmoniously with the legislature and the judiciary, the two other arms of government in a democracy to deliver on the mandate given to him to serve. Not only does he respect the independence of the different arms, but he appreciates their partnership as the hallmark of democracy, accountable leadership and governance.

What is significant, though, in what Uzodimma has been able to achieve so far that attracted the honour from Vanguard is the fact that the Governor has remained faithful to the oath of office he took, and his covenant with God, to serve Imo honestly, accountably and transparently.

This recognition is nothing but a fitting tribute to Uzodimma’s transformative leadership, the unprecedented infrastructure legacy he is forging in Imo State that is marked by remarkable road development and transformative facilities, as well as the Governor’s unapologetic intention to leave Imo State better than he met it after a fulfilled eight years on the saddle.

…Nwachuku is Governor Uzodimma’s Chief Press Secretary/ Special Adviser, Media.