By Ben AHANONU
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Upon assuming office as the Governor of Imo State, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma declared that he has a covenant with God Almighty to serve Imo people and deliver good governance underpinned by shared prosperity, world-class infrastructure and guided by deliberate intention to do what is right and good for the people.
At any given forum he has repeated the avowal to use his position as Governor to serve God and that cannot be questioned.
According to Uzodimma: " It is God that determines, who will be the Governor," and I cannot agree more, given the miraculous manner he emerged as the Governor, following the ill-fated 7-month attempt to steal his mandate by a group of wrong people and enemies of the masses with the garb of pretence in alliance with the Resident Electoral Commissioner then, who for reasons best known to him, decided to do the wrong thing by announcing, who did not win the election (and did not meet the requirements as stipulated by the law) as Governor and pushing Uzodimma - the first and the winner to the fourth position in the most heinous political contrivance and recklessness as a biased umpire.
However, God Almighty overturned the evil machinations of enemies of the State in the most miraculous manner and restored Uzodimma's mandate but the wailing cannot stop.
As bad losers they conspirators vowed to make Imo ungovernable by instigating a wave of circumscribing insecurity kick-started with the.attack on Owerri Correctional Centre and release of over 800 hardened criminals yet Uzodimma was not deterred. He took the bull by the horns and the result is massive infrastructural development and people-oriented governance.
During the recently held 7th Imo Stakeholders'Forum - a bold initiative of the All Progressives Congress, APC - led administration, Gov Uzodimma challenged anyone with any evidence of corruption , appropriation of land, renovation of estate or building of new one against him, to report the matter to appropriate government agencies and it is only a leader without any skeleton in his cupboard that can be so bold and courageous.
Without doubt, late Chief Sam Mbakwe, the iconic first civilian Governor of Imo State, who continuously and posthumously serves as a reference point for good leadership, did very well (although he had running battle with teachers over non-payment of salaries), but as it stands Gov. Uzodimma with his sterling performance is on the threshold of surpassing the legendary Mbakwe.
When Uzodimma embarked on the reconstruction of Trunk "A" roads in Imo State, Viz: Owerri -Orlu, Owerri - Okigwe and Owerri-Mbaise-Obowo, he was not prompted by the desire to recoup the money from the Federal Government - no. He reconstructed the roads because he made the promise. He reconstructed the roads because they form part of the cardinal programmes of his administration for accelerated economic and infrastructural development of the State.
That it pleased the Federal Government to refund Imo State money spent on the reconstruction of the roads is heartwarming and fortuitous.
Yet some naysayers in their incurable vindictiveness will want to gainsay that giant step of altruistic and visionary leadership by equating it to what they call ' round tripping" - such I describe as vehement display of chronic and incurable political bad-belly.
Be that as it may and without prejudice to anyone the point has to be made that Uzodimma's predecessors also could have reconstructed the roads and recouped the money spent as 'round tripping." Why they failed to reconstruct or failed to initiate such and 'roundtrip" using the parlance of the detractors, is a question the invidious critics should answer.
Gov Uzodimma also paid N1.6 billion naira to recover Imo Standard Shoe Factory seized by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, over a loan of N450 million. As it stands now, the 'talk and do Governor' as he is called by friends and admirers is discussing with foreign investors from Italy with technical know-how to relaunch and transform the shoe factory into a world-class factory with immense multiplier effect on the economy and population - I believe there is no round-tripping.
They said ah! the money of Imo State has finished, in fact Uzodimma has expended it all on champagne and hiring of private jet but in their littleness and myopic reasoning, they forget that the same Governor Uzodimma stopped the payment of pension to former Governors and other top political office holders( irrespective of the fact that it will affect him) because of the burden it bears on the lean resources of the State as such money can be judiciously spent on developmental and infrastructural projects.
I have been attending state events and for once, I have never seen champagne served and I know there is no bushbar at the Government House anymore so where is he drinking and serving champagne lavishly?
About private jets, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma (Onwa n'etieti) "omena dollar," has been using private jets even before he became the Governor of Imo State, that is for those that do not know.
If he is extravagant as the naysayers and political detractors allege, why are they also complaining to high heaven that Uzodimma is now tightfisted?
If Uzodimma is corrupt and profligate, he will not operate with single treasury account. Instead, he will follow in the footsteps of his predecessors by running the government with multiple bank accounts.
If Uzodimma is corrupt, he will not recover stolen hectares of land and return same to the real owners as nothing stops him from appropriating such.
If Uzodimma is corrupt and self-centered, he would have appointed his siblings and relatives as Commissioners, Special Advisers and more.
According to Governor Uzodimma: "Imo State money belongs to Imo people and I must use it for the development of the State because I will also give account of it. If you see anywhere I have built a new house, estate or acquired even a plot of land since assuming office as Governor, please expose it, report it to the relevant authorities. In fact, I am tired of and saturated with material acquisitions."
Indeed, Distinguished Senator Uzodimma, has proven within three years that it is possible to serve the people with credibility, accountability and integrity. He has proven that Imo State is not in want of genuine leaders, who are prepared to serve without recourse to personal aggrandizement.
I think Imo State needs more of Uzodimma democratic phenomenon for another four years.
Let those in support say Aye! The ayes have it.
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