ADDRESS BY GOVERNOR HOPE UZODIMMA AT THE OCCASION OF COMMISSIONING OF KEY PROJECTS OF HIS ADMINISTRATION BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR, ON TUESDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER, 2022.
I wish to emphatically put it on record that by the time these roads are completed, our people shall have a firm handle to drive the economic and social revival of our state. I make bold to say that when these two federal roads are delivered, to add to the two Your Excellency has just commissioned, virtually all the 27 local governments in the state would have been linked by solid, properly laid-out and durable highways that will massively transform the economic landscape of the state for good.
On behalf of the government and good people of Imo State, I am pleased to most warmly welcome our father, and leader, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, to our dear state of Imo – the hospitality capital of Eastern Nigeria,.
Mr. President, Sir, Imo people are delighted and excited to have you in our midst today. We are equally grateful that you kindly accepted to honour us with your esteemed presence for the second time in about one year, in spite of your incredibly busy schedule. To put it mildly, my joy knew no bounds when you kindly accepted to come in person to commission these key projects which are among the signature projects of this administration.
I also welcome in a special way all those who have accompanied Mr. President on this memorable visit which he has made for the purpose of commissioning three flagship projects successfully executed by my administration. May I also formally welcome and appreciate the various strata of Imo society who have assembled here to welcome our dear President. I am also glad that you are here in your numbers to witness this epochal occasion during which he will commission some signature projects. Today’s event will serve as yet another testament to the unassailable resolve of my administration to serve Imo people with dedication and a deep sense of purpose.
The landmark projects which have been earmarked for commissioning today include:
1 . The Dualized Owerri-Orlu Road,
2. The Owerri – Okigwe Road (Phase one) and the
3. The Rebuilt and furnished Imo State House of Assembly Complex
Each of these projects has a remarkable history behind it. For instance, the Dualized Owerri-Orlu Road – a 35 – kilometre road – had been a nightmare for motorists for over two decades. The state of the road was made worse by its uniquely difficult topography, complicated by erosion, especially gully erosion at the Njaba -Amucha axis, which had defied solution until now. Our people readily recall with some sense of trepidation the promise of President Shehu Shagari to tackle the Amucha erosion problem when he visited Imo state over 40 years ago. At the time of his visit the erosion was already threatening to cut off the affected villages from the rest of Imo State. Unfortunately, that promise was not kept.
Perhaps, to underscore the high expectations of the people for a lasting solution to the Njaba/ Amucha erosion menace, and their disappointment over the consequent inability of the Shagari administration to keep its promise, our people evolved a saying which tagged any failed promise as “Shagari’s Amucha promise”.
The good news is that today, that 40 – year – old promise made by the second Republic President has been partly fulfilled under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari. Mr. President, this is so because this federal road – the Owerri-Orlu dual carriage road, which you have just commissioned, is the same federal road that cuts across the hitherto perilous Amucha erosion site. The intractable nature of the erosion at the Njaba end of the road was one of the lame excuses or reasons that previous administrations gave for not fixing such an economically important road. To the glory of God, we found the courage, the dedication, the means and the requisite technology to fix it. I am happy and proud to share the good news that the seemingly intractable and dreaded Njaba erosion menace is now being comprehensively addressed.
Beyond the reference to history, this road, which cuts across seven local government areas of the state, is economically and geographically strategic. The farmers and entrepreneurs in the communities connected by this road now have much-needed access to the capital city of Owerri, where they can find a bigger market for their produce and wares. With this road, several other local markets located along and around the road have also been re-energised by increased patronage which has been made possible by improved access of both sellers and buyers. The road has also improved the ability of civil servants who live in these parts of the state to commute to work and return to their homes. Similarly, transporters and travelers who ply the road are already reporting improved business outlooks and a better traveling experience through the state. More than anything else, it was the economic and social importance of the road that made it a priority project and informed our determination to realize it in spite of the uphill task it was.
The second project, the 52 – kilometre Owerri-Okigwe road, which facilitates our access to parts of Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi States, experienced the same fate of abandonment until the intervention of my administration. In the abandoned state, a journey from Owerri to Okigwe took up to three hours instead of the normal fifty minutes or less. This was also partly because of seemingly intractable gully erosion at Akabo and many other failed portions of the road. These impassable portions became death traps and forced motorists to take a detour through narrow paths in several villages before being able to access the motorable parts of the road. The construction of the first phase of the road from Owerri to Anara has now been realized under your watch, Your Excellency.
Mr. President, I say under your watch again because the construction of these key roads, including some other ongoing ones, has been made possible through your support and encouragement.
In line with your administration’s commitment to the sustenance of democracy through the strengthening of its institutions and the different arms of government, my administration also embarked upon the total reconstruction of the state House of Assembly Complex. As a matter of fact, when I assumed office as the Governor of the state, the House of Assembly complex had been completely abandoned and had become a shadow of itself.
Indeed for over 10 years, lawmakers had fled the complex for fear of losing their lives because of its level of dilapidation which had made it a death trap. Believing that the state legislators deserved a better meeting place, I was moved to embark on the capital-intensive project of rebuilding the Assembly Complex. I had to do it because I am aware that the legislature is the bastion of democracy as well as the symbol of the people’s power. As we know, parliamentarians are the representatives of all our people. So the House of Assembly is the meeting point of the people, irrespective of their political differences. I am proud to announce to you that the Assembly Complex, which houses the people’s parliament, has now come back to life. Mr. President, Sir, I am talking about the imposing edifice that you just kindly commissioned for us today.
Your Excellency, these three projects are part of the signature projects which are currently receiving the attention of my administration. It is noteworthy, however, to mention that there are several other road and infrastructure projects which my administration is undertaking. While some of these have been completed, many more are still under construction or awaiting inauguration. We pride ourselves as apostles of road revolution because in less than three years since I took over as the governor, this administration has done more than 105 roads across the 27 local government areas of the state. Under our prosperity agenda encapsulated in Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery, we intend to connect all communities in the state with motorable roads before the end of our first term.
In line with this well-laid-out plan, we only recently flagged off the construction of two new roads that are key to the economic development of the state, which incidentally are also federal roads. These two important roads can be rightly described as the economic arteries of the state as they directly link us to Abia and Anambra States. In addition, they also serve as access roads to many more states, including Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom States. This implies that when completed, they will boost interstate trade and tourism between us and these states.
The two roads have one thing in common – prolonged negligence and abandonment. The first of these is the long-neglected Owerri-Mbaise-Obowo-Umuahia road, while the other is the equally long neglected Orlu-Mgbee-Akokwa-Uga road. As I speak, the engineering designs for the construction of the two roads are making rapid progress.
I wish to emphatically put it on record that by the time these roads are completed, our people shall have a firm handle to drive the economic and social revival of our state. I make bold to say that when these two federal roads are delivered, to add to the two Your Excellency has just commissioned, virtually all the 27 local governments in the state would have been linked by solid, properly laid-out and durable highways that will massively transform the economic landscape of the state for good. Mr. President, I am proud to tell you that our goal is to leave Imo state far better than we met it. In the pursuit of this goal, we have remained steadfast, tenacious and resilient. Above all, we have refused to be distracted by the threats of insecurity and social media blackmail and propaganda, most of which are politically contrived and sponsored. So, I am confident that soon, when the work is done, we can look back and proudly say: “Yes, we did it”. Yes, we did that which looked impossible. And we did it in just four years. So shall it be, to the glory of God.
You will recall, Sir, that during your last visit, you commissioned the Naze-Nekede-Ihiagwa-Obinze road which links two federal government-owned tertiary institutions, namely the Federal University of Technology, Owerri and the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede. You also inaugurated the Iwuanyanwu By-Pass, the brand new Executive Council Chambers and the Balloon Flood Control Technology. These are strong indicators of our commitment to recover our state from a dire infrastructure deficit as well as usher our people into a new world of unparalleled economic opportunities. We remain grateful to you, as our father, for always being there for us, supporting us in diverse ways and making it possible for us to serve our people better. The fact that you have been to Imo State twice, personally, in a space of one year, is a clear confirmation that you have a special love for Imo State and her people. Without a doubt, the love is reciprocated.
Beyond that, you have also repeatedly demonstrated your love for Ndigbo and Ndi-Imo, in particular. Your kind approval for the Federal Government takeover of Alvan Ikoku College of Education -a matter that has been lingering for two decades- is a clear pointer in this direction. Again, only recently you approved for the Federal Medical Centre in Owerri to be upgraded to a teaching hospital for clinical practice and research by students and staff of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. This could not have come at a more critical time than now. We are equally grateful to you for citing a naval base in Oguta. If I dare list all you have done for Imo state, we may not leave here today. But I can’t leave out the fact that your prompt intervention helped to restore peace and safety in our state. But for your timely, prompt and fatherly intervention through the security agencies, Imo State would have been overrun by bandits and hoodlums. For this, I also say a big thank you, Mr. President, and through you to the security agencies who stood by us in our weakest moments. Thank you, Your Excellency.
You have also demonstrated your love for Ndigbo through the completion of the second River Niger Bridge –a project that has been on the bucket list of Ndigbo for decades. This is a project that previous administrations paid lip service to and turned into a campaign taunt of Ndigbo. But without much fanfare, you have tackled the multibillion naira project head-on. Today, the bridge is almost completed and is waiting for commissioning. The same goes for your upgrading of Enugu Airport to a proper international airport, with all the necessary facilities in place. The reconstruction of the Aba–Umuahia-Enugu-Onitsha dual carriageway is yet another landmark project of your administration in the South East. There are indeed many more and we are truly grateful for your very kind disposition towards us. Ndigbo appreciates you. We are grateful.
What then, Mr. President, shall we repay you with? First, we offer and assure you of our loyalty. Secondly, we pledge to be law-abiding to make it easier for you to govern Nigeria, and thirdly, for me to continue to serve the Imo people, with utmost honesty, dedication, accountability, and the fear of God. And on these I will not fail, knowing that this is what you expect of me.
Thank you, Mr. President, for visiting us for the second time, and for accepting to commission our projects on three occasions. We shall await your next visit. I wish you and your entourage a very safe and smooth return to Abuja, and please say us well to your family and staff.
Thank you, Ndi-Imo, for standing by me and for believing in me. Without your support, we couldn’t have done much. Thank you also for coming out in your numbers to receive and welcome our President to Owerri,
Ndewonu!
May God bless all of us as we return safely to our different destinations
Long live Ndi-Imo
Long live Imo State
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Sen Hope Uzodimma
