11/08/2022
UZODIMMA'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN A GLANCE THAT SPONSORED INSECURITY CANNOT TAKE AWAY.
BEFORE WE FORGET
By Nwamkpa Modestus C. (KSM)
It is good to occasionally remind our people of where we were as a people before Governor Uzodimma came on board and where we are currently under Uzodimma. It is important also that this type of exercise is udertaken because at times, people tend to forget so easily giving the fact that , there is this conspicuous frantic effort by the opposition to attempt, albeit unsuccessfully to obliterate from the minds of the people many of the shining achievements of Governor Hope Uzodimma's 3R government. They cannot succeed because Truth is always bright. Sadly, they feed the reading public with tales of their orchestrated insecurity garnishing it with false accusation and complete wrong narratives about Imo state.
In case there is anybody who has forgotten that before now, payment of pension, gratuity and salaries of workers and Pensioners have never been regular in Imo. No Governor in Imo, I stand to be challenged had been consistent with these payments to the beneficiaries. The tradition in the past had always been to defer and stagger payment of one or two months salaries while pension is withheld for another two or three months. Gratuity is barely paid resulting in heavy backlog. These were the situation in Imo month in, month out for years. It was when Uzodimma came that the narrative changed and has remained so till date. Please go and interview any verified worker or Pensioner in the state if he or she is not receiving his or her pay regularly till date. Uzodimma placed payment of salary and pension on first line charge.
It is also possible that people may have forgotten that Chukwuma Nwoha/MCC axis were heavily flooded any time it rained year in, year out until Governor Uzodimma came on board. Infact, people should not forget so easily how residents of that area relocated from their homes because of the menace of perennial flooding in the area. Today, it is a success story with the introduction and construction of Balloon technology by this man called Hope Uzodimma.
Perhaps also, some people may have forgotten that Port Harcourt Road especially around Assumpta second gate, World bank, Federal Secretariat, Relief Market, Oparanozis street etc including some roads across imo state were completely impassable before Uzodimma assumed office. Today, a visit to these areas will explain to you the Wonders of Governor Uzodimma. It is completely a different story altogether.
Many people may have forgotten also that before now, it takes harrowing experience to travel from Owerri to Orlu and Owerri to Okigwe due to the terribly terrifying roads. Today, you can literally travel to these roads with your legs off your car throttle. Governor Uzodimma has completely changed the ugly situation to a glorious one. Residents and users of these roads including traders are having a smooth ride on the roads. Uzodimma did it.
People have forgotten that before now, how members of the Governor's family and cronies were feasting on our common wealth and assets and we complained but watched helplessly. There were unimaginable impunity in the areas of land grabbing, emasculation of public assets by former Governors, their family members and cronies with reckless abandon but today, it is an obvious fact that Governor Uzodimma halted that drift and has brought sanity in the area. Infact, it is on record that no Governor has recovered any land stolen by the previous administrations like Uzodimma has done and is doing. He has left no one in doubt as to is aversion for corruption and abuse of office or rather official impunity. This is one area we cannot take for granted.
People may have forgotten that no Governor had faced a politically contrived insecurity as much as Senator Uzodimma has faced yet no Governor has achieved so much under the heavy distraction like him. This is a paradox of sort. It is on record that no Governor in history had his personal house attacked and burnt with his expensive first class Lemosine destroyed yet he remained unperturbed. The insecurity in the state was designed to distract the Governor and distort his people-oriented programme. It was arranged to mainly obliterate the unprecedented achievements of the Governor from the minds of the people.
People may have forgotten that Imo before Uzodimma came was reputed for substandard infrastructural construction but today, at least the difference is obvious even to the doubting Thomases. Governor Uzodimma is giving Imo state quality jobs with quality contractors and at a lesser cost. Before now, no one knows the name of the contractor(s) handling roads in Imo state unlike what obtained currently in the state.
Perhaps people may have forgotten also that Governor Uzodimma achieved all these within two years in office and under a very unusual circumstance ranging from Covid-19 epidemic that shrinked the world, national and state resources. He achieved these under the EndSars brouhaha, heavy insecurity and reduced federal allocations. These things should not be seen as a mean feat.
I think Governor Uzodimma should be rightly considered as a paragon in governance. No Governor in Imo state and South East and I want anybody to contradict me, has constructed over 163 Kms of roads within two years in office and under the above excruciating economic circumstance. None, I mean none and none.
Truthfully Yours, Nwamkpa Modestus is my name and I approve of this piece.
