Governor Uzodinma’s Message Of Hope

PETER CLAVER OPARAH

On Tuesday, January 14, 2020, the Supreme Court laid to rest the contestation for the Imo State governorship stool. In a historical judgment, the apex court ruled that Emeka Ihedioha, then sitting governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not the rightful winner of the Imo State governorship contest held in March 2019. The court ruled that Hope Uzodinma, a former Senator and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who came fourth in the INEC result for that election was indeed the rightful winner. The court did this by simply validating the results from 388 polling units which INEC, for reasons best known to it, excluded from its final tally and which the court found to be genuine and from the new tally after this addition, Uzodinma was the clear winner.

The result sent shock waves amongst the supporters of Ihedioha and PDP who couldn’t fathom their hard luck and they expressed their disapproval by embarking on several protest marches which were not enough to move the justices of the Supreme Court. In fact, the many dirty and putrid underpinnings of the Imo election and INEC’s own filthy roles in the events that formed this election are topics for another day.

Senator Hope Uzodinma was sworn in as Imo Governor the following day, January 15 and since then he has taken full charge of the governance of Imo State. However, his emergence, as displeasing as it is to Ihedioha and his supporters, has unleashed a series of unpleasant events in the PDP, as the party has all but practically collapsed into the victorious APC in Imo State. In a twist of fate, the loss of Imo has inflicted heavy hemorrhage on the PDP. It has lost its majority in the state house of assembly to the APC as its elected house members have defected en mass to the APC. What more, its state chairman has resigned his office and membership of the party and has defected to the APC, signaling what many see as a fatal strike to the strength of PDP in Imo as well as its claim of control in the state.

However, Governor Uzodinma was to make his maiden broadcast to the people of Imo State on Tuesday January 21 and his broadcast which has been massively applauded merits to be termed as a message of hope to the parched Imo people in their insatiable appetite for good governance. In his broadcast, remarkable for its detailed content, Uzodinma opened a vista of hope that had been lacking in the governance of the state for some time now. He was refreshing, soothing, calming, re-assuring and meticulous in capturing what galls the people, their expectations from governance and their desires for the future of Imo State. He touched every facet of governance in a manner that has been alien in the engagements of governments with the Imo people for a long time now.

Perhaps it was deliberate that Gov. Uzodinma took extra time to give bounteous flesh to Security, Healthcare and Education, which can rightly be termed the undergirding trinity at the root of the people’s demands from government. Hear Uzodinma on security;

• To Ensure Maximum Security in Imo State we shall IMMEDIATELY establish a new Security architecture – aided with installation of State of the Arts Digital Technology/equipment linked to the 27 LGCs/DPO to enhance crime detection, intelligence gathering, tracking and apprehension of criminals, etc.
• We shall create a Neighbourhood Security Watch code named ‘North East West’ (NEW) involving a coordinated network of Community Intelligence Gathering Programme in liaison with the NPF, DSS, NSCDC, NSO and some Private Security Companies. In tandem, we shall launch Operation “FOC,” (Flush Out Criminals) – a combined Security Operations targeted at Flashpoints and Centres of high criminal activities, including hide outs, jungles, uncompleted buildings, forest, shrines, lakes and creeks, etc. Whether in Ohaji Egbema, or Nwaorieubi Shrine at Ifakala, or in the thick jungle at Akokwa, or Njaba or Urashi, We shall rout them and free our society of the menace of banditry, kidnappings, and ritual killings including Yahoo-Plus, and Alibaba Gangstars. It shall be a “SAD” season for criminals in Imo State.

On Healthcare, he was so elaborate and went down to minute details on an ambitious medicare plan that will make Imo a desired healthcare tourism state if implemented. He said;

• Comprehensive Medicare with focus on Primary Health Care, and Preventive Medical Care services. Within the first two years of this administration, we would have attained a 75% Health For All (HEFA), covering the 27 LGCs.
• We shall recruit 850 Community Health Workers to strengthen existing Primary Health Care System workforce in the state in the first year.
• In Collaboration with Local Government Councils, we shall rehabilitate, renovate and equip all dilapidated Community Health Centres in the 305 Wards of the State, within the first one year in Office.
• Run an integrated and holistic healthcare delivery system with modern diagnostic equipment, CT scan, and Mobile X-ray, in selected Zonal General Hospitals and Health Centres, etc.
• Provide a well-equipped Rapid Response Ambulance Services (RAMS) in the Zonal Divisional Hospitals, and Central Rural Health Centres to enhance an efficient 24/7 Health Support in all the Local Government Areas.
• Establish a value-based healthcare as opposed to the present “fee for performance Healthcare model.” Emphasis in our NEW IMO Health architecture shall be: optimal patient outcome, patient safety, and efficient professional and dynamic work force, etc.
• Establishment of Drug Revolving Trading Accounts (DRTA) in the Hospitals, and Health Centres for “Essential” and “Non-Essential Drugs.” to ensure adequate stock of life-saving drugs. Each Hospital or Health Centre shall operate a guided Self-Accounting Status to ensure that the Drug Revolving Regime is effectively managed, and accounts rendered.
• Restoration of Sanitary Health Inspection to support a holistic Primary Health/Preventive Medicare programme of government.
• A NEW IMO Health architecture would include urgent Rehabilitation of the moribund Schools of Nursing, Mid-Wifery in Owerri, Aboh Mbaise, and Awo-Omamma. Awo-Omamma and Aboh Mbaise shall, in liaison with the Nursing and Mid-Wifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), be converted into collegiate systems for Basic Mid-Wifery .These very important health training institutions shall be rehabilitated and equipped within the first one year of our administration to ensure early and seamless accreditation. We shall review our standing with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in relation to equipment and materials supplied to these institutions and government counterpart funding, etc.
• Establish criteria for research and integration of alternative medicine or Traditional Medical practice (Trado-medicine) into NEW IMO medical practices.
• The IMSU College of Medicine, and the Teaching Hospital at Orlu, the Public Health Laboratory, and the Specialist Hospitals in Owerri, shall be equipped for Laser Surgeries, as well as serve as Regional Medical Informatics Centres, for the Southeast Region. The abandoned MRI and other sensitive scanning Machines mysteriously transferred from IMSUTH Orlu to “OCHIEDIKE,” shall be rehabilitated and restored for services in accordance with existing MoU with GE, and Howard International Medical Center, USA.

His healthcare plan is too detailed to merit further expatiation.

Coming to education, hear the Governor;

My esteemed Ndi Imo, our New Imo State will incorporate an IMO STATE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMME (ISEOP) involving but not limited to a highly functional qualitative technology and science-driven education system focused on skills acquisition, innovation, manpower development, and entrepreneurship.

• The New Imo State will crave for: an Educational System that has capacity to produce a new generation of Graduates equipped for immediate post school employment and self-reliance.
• An Educational Programme to enhance innovation, and creative Human Capital with capacity to add value to State and nation building.
• Build Foundation for innovative Human Capital that shall drive downstream value chain creation.
• Mandatory Professional Teachers Continuous Education Programme in line with the transformative impact of Digital Technology on Education.
• Provide Measured Financial Support to students with exceptional pedigree in academics, innovation and entrepreneurship.
  Other lateral non-financial support include, mentoring, career guidance and counseling, etc.
• Establishment of a Job Placement Office – to enhance job search and placement, Internship (IT) and other career related programmes for graduates.
• Establishment of Diaspora Learning Centres for Student Exchange and Technology Incubation Centres in the USA, UK, China and Canada, etc.
• Development of a new Curriculum for schools that would integrate skills learning, innovation and entrepreneurship required to fit into the new Digital ecosystem.
• Establishment of New Digital learning Environment with cognate Digital Teaching Tools and Programmes in Six Pilot Centres within the Three Senatorial zones of the State.
• Restoration of Inspectorate Division in all the Zonal School Management Boards to enhance academic quality and content delivery, etc.
  Similarly, our government will undertake the following in the health care delivery sector:

He went on to lay extensive emphasis on his plans for The Economy, Employment, Infrastructure Development, Civil Service Reform, Participatory Governance involving Imo people, Local Government Autonomy, Anti-Corruption War, among many other essential components of governance.

As I said earlier, the address was so detailed and self-explanatory to bear repetition here. It inculcates what the people have long come to see as the social contract binding the people and the government but which had so often been implemented in breach to the extent that Imo people have neighed for a government that understands this essential magna carta and play strictly to its demands.

It is helpful to point out that the Rochas government would have done well here but it lost its initial bounce to its insatiable appetite for megalomania, vain glory and selfish aggrandizement of power. But however, the Rochas government opened so many fronts of meaningful development Governor Uzodinma can leverage on and take Imo to the desired Next Level. He can simply bring planning and due process to the many haphazard frontiers of development Rochas started before he derailed. Good, the government has resolved not to abandon the projects started by its predecessors and this is the expectations of development-minded Imolites from a government that has the people’s interests at heart.

I will recommend that Governor Uzodinma take two of his first four years to polish off the rough edges in the many development projects left by his predecessors. Let him take time and attend to the many roads, both in the urban and rural areas, which  Rochas created, rebuild and give them standard quality, take up the RAMP roads Ihedioha projected and build them up. Let Uzodinma complete the 305 model primary schools Rochas built and equip them for use. Let Uzodinma complete and equip the 27 model hospitals Rochas started and use them as flagships for delivery of his laudable and expansive Medicare in the 27 local councils in the state. Good, the governor has asked contractors already mobilized by his predecessors to start work and ensure to do quality works. The governor must provide the needed close monitoring to ensure quality work and thank God, the governor has shown willingness to do so.

So heartening that Uzodinma has discarded the strange 27 stadia project which is a bogus white-elephant project Ihedioha started for clearly ulterior purposes. Imo is pressed by direr issues than 27 stadia that have no relevance to the people. Good that Uzodinma has also discarded the vindictive, witch-hunting, acrimonious, divisive tendencies Ihedioha made the cornerstone of his brief stay in power. He doesn’t need this though well thought out inquest into how the economy was managed by his predecessors is welcome but without the kind of premeditated targeted outcome as Ihedioha’s was. Good that Uzodinma has sacrificed his security votes for the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions, just as Rochas did for the provision of free education in Imo State. These are fronts of hope that Imo is on the right track and he should not flag on these.

Reviewing the contents of the governor’s broadcast is unnecessary as the broadcast is self-explanatory. However, it is a message that contains gargantuan watts of hope for Ndi Imo. It is rich in assurances that Imo is recoverable. It is like water to the parched soul of Ndi Imo. What remains is for Uzodinma to give flesh to the message by walking his talk. Good, that he has identified what the problems are, which is an essential component of solution. But there still exists a difference between identifying the problem and solving it. Let the governor dedicate himself to dealing with the issues he raised in his maiden broadcast of hope. Let the governor wholly commit his tenure towards solving the issues he rightly identified as key to the growth and development of Imo and for which he has drawn massive acclaim. Let his maiden broadcast stand as a perpetual workbook in his governance of Imo. This, for Imo people, will be a marking sheet for his government and his message of hope will become a song of victory if he ends up scoring high on the issues he raised in his maiden broadcast when his first four years is done.

Peter Claver Oparah writes from Ikeja, Lagos.

E-mail: peterclaver2000@yahoo.com