Gov Uzodimma’s 3rd Independence Anniversary As Imo Governor

In Imo State, Southeast Nigeria, the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, celebrated his third straight independence anniversary since assuming office as governor in January 2020.

Within the period under review, it has been a story of achievements upon achievements, and accomplishments upon accomplishments by the performing governor, to the glory of God and the betterment of the people.

Right from the word go in 2020, Governor Uzodimma inherited a regime of mesmerizing challenges, beginning with the Corona Virus Disease (Covid-19) pandemic that surfaced in Nigeria in March of 2020, just about 50 days into the life of his eventually successful tenure-in-office.

In one simple sentence, Governor Uzodimma contended and contained the Covid-19 scare with the ebullience of Napoleon Bonaparte and candour of Alexander the great.

And like the legendary great warriors and established leaders, he won. And he has since thereafter secured an indisputable reputation as an unfailing winner par excellence!

While Governor Uzodimma was dealing squarely with the Covid-19 pandemic, the regime of the Imo PDP sponsored insecurity with their clandestine unknown gunmen erupted in the State, just few months after a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State publicly threatened that they will make the State ungovernable for Governor Uzodimma and his government.

Sadly, Police stations were burnt. Police officers were killed in cold blood. People were abducted in worrisome ways and manners. Lives were wasted like serviette paper. Enough blood was shed like the Red Sea. Business places and markets were destroyed.

Life and living was with hearts hanging on a high tension wire! Ndimo slept with two eyes and two ears wide open! It was season of fear, despair, distraught and dismay!

Sorrow and sadness were sown in the State by chameleonic green snake in green grass enemies of the State.

It was a crucial season of anomie and anarchy! Sadly and unfortunately, the year 2020 ended on a more negative note. It was a baptism with societal troubles, problems and challenges!

However, amid all the stresses of the year 2020, Governor Uzodimma still celebrated his first Nigeria independence anniversary, the 60th, on October 1, 2020. And he performed the role very well despite being a new governor.

The turn of the new year 2021 was sadly and fortunately a carry over of the ugly end of 2020. Things were no longer at ease because of the anthills of the savanna!

Significantly, amid the ferocious onslaught of the unknown gunmen that were unleashed upon Ndimo by Imo PDP and opposition cult in Imo State, Governor Uzodimma successfully recovered the second state-owned university of the state from his predecessor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who converted the public citadel of higher learning into his private property and that of his family, his family.

Governor Uzodimma consequently immortalized the legendary Dr. Kingsley Ozumba (K.O) Mbadiwe, the political man of timber and calibre, by promptly naming the recovered second state-owned university after him.

Also recovered from the ex-governor were about 1000 land and landed property that rightfully, lawfully and legally belonged to the Government, as well as those that belonged people of the State.

Not unexpectedly, there was a sharp rise in the spate of the nefarious activities of the daredevil unknown gunmen that were sponsored by opposition cult in Imo State, after Governor Uzodimma brought the probe of his predecessor to a logical conclusion.

To ensure that no lives and property were further destroyed by the satanic unknown gunmen that were sponsored by known mercantile political gladiators, it became necessary that Governor Uzodimma invited the military to join forces with existing security aparatchik in the State to save the lives of Imo people.

By April 5, 2021 hell was let loose as the unknown gunmen left the valleys and crags of Orlu area and ventured into the very State capital, Owerri, where they unlawfully and illegally invaded the Headquarters of the Nigerian Prisons Service in Owerri, broke into the prison and set free about 2000 inmates, a treasonable felony, punishable by law.

The  Nigeria Police Command, Owerri, the closest neighbour to the Government House of Imo State, Owerri, was also attacked by the cowardly masked terrorists that were sent by the opposition cult in Imo State in their sworn bid to make the State ungovernable.

Life and living in the State became a nightmare for not only rural dwellers but also for urban dwellers. Day and night, the presence or consciousness of the precarious insecurity situation of the State made Ndimo sleep with two eyes wide open.

As God would have it, however, the combined forces of the Nigerian security agencies succeeded in pushing the unknown gunmen back to their unknown holes and hideouts, and neutralized to the lowest ebb, the hitherto high tide of insecurity in Imo State.

The proof of the success of the security agencies against the unknown gunmen and insecurity in the State was the official personal visit to the successful State by President Muhammadu Buhari on September 9, 2021 to commission some projects that were completed by the governor and his government.

It was such that the 2021 Nigerian independence anniversary on October 1, 2021 was celebrated in a calm, safe, secure and peaceful atmosphere in the State, earning Governor Uzodimma a well-deserved ovation and commendation for a job well done.

Aside the consistent delivery of good leadership and good governance, construction of major roads, payment of salaries and pensions to all verified civil servants and pensioners, etcetera, the next major event in Imo State in 2021 was the Yuletide.

The celebration of Christmas and New Year at the end of 2021 was rated by reputable pundits as the most safe, secure and peaceful in the history of the State.

Unprecedented number of Ndimo returned to the State from their diaspora bases and stations to celebrate the yuletide with family and friends to the obvious chagrin and consternation of Imo PDP and opposition cult in the State, who deployed high level of scare mongering upon Ndimo in diaspora and against the governor and his government. They failed as usual!

With the successful end of the year 2021, the new year of 2022 witnessed increasing stabilization of the State by Governor Uzodimma, with a multiplication of prosperity which the governor has become popular for sharing freely among Ndimo across the State.

He restored joy and happiness among the people, restoring fresh trust and confidence in government, with his good leadership and good governance capacities, capabilities and deliveries.

Little wonder in Q1 of the year, Governor Uzodimma was voted the Nigerian Governor of the Year 2021 by “Sun Newspapers”, a very reputable newspaper of national prominence.

In the month of June 2022, Governor Uzodimma raised the internally generated revenue to unprecedented N1.6 billion. It was fantastic!

He consequently paid off a N1.6 billion debt and recovered the Imo State Standard Shoes Limited, which was fifed by the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), no thanks to his rogue predecessor.

He hosted the 2022 Army Day Celebration in Imo State. He hosted numerous national and international bodies and personalities in the State for various assorted purposes, including the glorious wedding of his beautiful daughter, Chioma to Henry her heartrob!

In what many pundits have dubbed a consolidation of faith, trust and confidence on the Imo governor, President Buhari personally visited Imo State again on September 13, 2022 and commissioned three signature projects that were completed by Governor Uzodimma and his government, viz the state-of-the-art Orlu-Owerri Road and Okigwe-Owerri Road, with the recovered and rebuilt Complex housing the Imo State House of Assembly.

Coincidentally, within the period of the presidential visit, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria were also live in Imo State for the second plenary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, which was hosted by the Orlu Diocese in the State in care of Bishop Augustine Toochukwu Ukwuoma.

The visits by Mr. President and the Bishops were strong confirmations to the world that Governor Uzodimma has successfully restored safety, security and peace in the State. Imo is safe!

Those gracious visits dovetailed into the celebration of the third straight Nigerian independence anniversary by Imo governor in 2022, to be officially celebrated on October 1, 2022.

It’s a great thing. It’s a thing of joy. It’s the doing of the Lord’s. It is a marvel to eyes and minds of the good people of Imo State. To God be the glory!

Instructively, the Nigerian Navy has successfully established a Naval Base in Imo State, with the Federal Government granting approval for the dredging of the Urashi River to make it a commercial port and jetty in the national grid of national marine transport in the nearest future.

An analyst saw the upcoming Imo Seaport as a well-deserved gift from President Buhari to Imo State and Imo people vide their hardworking leader and governor, who has most patiently and most painstakingly worked his way up the ladder of national relevance, recognition, regard and respect.

Well-meaning people have been splashing Governor Uzodimma with felicitations and congratulations as he once again, indeed for the third time at a stretch celebrates Nigeria’s 2022 independence Day as the Executive Governor of Imo State, to pain of Imo PDP and opposition cult in the State, who have been unrelenting in their efforts to edge the governor and his government out of office with high profile falsehood, propaganda and blackmail, subterfuge and brigandage.

Therefore, all that Governor Uzodimma deserves is huge congratulations to Onwa Oyoko, the governor that God Almighty sent to Ndimo to recover all recoverables in Imo State for Imo people. To God be the glory!

May God Almighty continue to be with the Imo governor and his government as he with Ndimo live long to join the rest of Nigeria to celebrate the 2023 and many more Nigerian independence day anniversary. In Jesus’s name. Amen!

By God’s grace, Imo State is being rehabilitated, reconstructed and recovered by Governor Uzodimma.

Always expect the best from Governor Uzodimma!