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By Henry Umahi
These are certainly good times for some communities in Imo State. This is because on Tuesday, Governor Hope Uzodimma flagged off the construction of two new flagship road projects: Orlu-Mgbee-Urualla-Akokwa-Uga road and Owerri -Mbaise – Obowo to Umuahia road.
The soul-lifting projects, which took Uzodimma to Orlu, Owerri and Mbaise, will traverse many communities in the state, serve as economic incentive, generating employment for many Imolites through the value chain.
Orlu – Mgbee – Akokwa – Ugah road is 22.1kilometres while the first phase of Owerri – Mbaise – Umuahia road is 46 kilometres.
Uzodimma, who spoke at Orlu and Owerri respectively, reiterated
that he has come to serve. “I want my achievements to speak for me,” he told the people.
Explaining that the three major cities of Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe will wear new beautiful look under his watch, Uzodimma said his administration had put together a development plan for the three major cities in Imo State.
He, however, lamented that enemies of the state had constituted a clog in the wheel of progress. He regretted that some leaders had given tacit support to the hoodlums running riot in the state by not speaking against their evil enterprise.
He said: “When we were about to start the implementation, when we flagged off the Owerri – Orlu Road and the Owerri – Okigwe Road, enemies of progress, who did not want the development of Imo State, who saw that our movement was that of a moving train – that if you stay in the front of it you will be crushed, they decided to disorganize Orlu senatorial zone.
“Some of our brothers and sisters were ignorantly used to destabilise Orlu zone by visiting insecurity on the zone. If truth must be told, yes we’ve had governors from Orlu zone, but look at Orlu. Does it look like a place that produced governors?.”
He wondered what the traders in Orlu markets did that made the evil men to attack and kill them.
“What did they do? God is there to expose evil doers. After so many have been beheaded here, after so many people have been killed, how many of our leaders have come out to condemn it. How many of them have spoken out. We have a senator representing Orlu district, has he raised a motion on the floor of the Senate to condemn what is happening in Orlu ?. It is not about Hope Uzodimma. There will come a time when these evil people will be exposed by God. As it is written in the Book of Ecclesiastes, ‘there is time for everything’.
“I have come to serve because I know I’ll be a good servant. I have come to develop Imo State because I know I can do it. I don’t believe on social media blackmail. I believe in strategic communication. I want my achievements to speak for me.
“This road is one of the most strategic, economic stimulation roads. It is an economic road. It is a road that has been abandoned by previous administrations. But it has pleased God that we must do this road to give succour to our people.
“I don’t believe in noise making. I don’t waste my time unnecessarily because I operate with economics of time. I don’t waste my time. After the race, we shall count the mileage.
“Orlu zone is 12 local government areas. Our leaders must help to explain to our youths that the development of Orlu and Imo State is in their own interest. The instigation of violence and killings in Orlu is focused on stopping our people from voter registration and, therefore, disenfranchise our people. They want to create confusion. They want the first to be the last. We cannot surrender governance to non-state actors. Support me, let us open our zone.
“I plead and ask for the cooperation of you all. I am not abusive; I do not insult, I do not talk too much. But after the construction of this road, you’ll know that the governor is from here. I want to promise you that this road will be completed within a record time. Very soon, we will also be here to commission it.
“We will do our best within the limited resources available to us in Imo State; to deploy the money prudently, solving the needs of our people and doing projects that will impact positively on our people.
“There is no room for wastages. There is no room for recklessness. There is no room for extravagance.
“As a private person, there are certain things I did with my money. My personal money is governed by my personal rules. But public funds are governed by public rules. So, the flexibility to dash out public funds is not very easy. The only way we can benefit is by addressing infrastructure and social services, bringing dividends of democracy to our people both tangible and intangible. As we make progress, you will see that God has really answered our prayers.
“Those who think they will kill people and blame it on Uzodimma, why should I kill when God has already made me the governor? Why should I burn houses when God has already made me the governor? After governor, there is no status left for me to attain in Imo State and Imo alone cannot make anybody the President of Nigeria. So, I want you to understand that blackmail and over politicisation of our security in this zone is wrong and ungodly.
“They burnt my house, the leaders said nothing. They burnt the house of Ambassador George Obiozor, they did not utter a word. They burnt Orlu local government area headquarters, nobody heard a word from them. They did not come out to condemn it. All of a sudden those who are contesting the senate seat of Owerri zone are now defending Orlu zone. What a Greek gift, very suspicious. Let us wear our thinking cap. Those you are seeing did not come for friendship, rather they’ve come to kill. They want to call a dog a bad name in order to kill it.”
The governor further promised to do his best to create jobs by bringing back Nsu Tiles, Adapalm and E-economic job creations, assuring that in no distance time his government will create 50,000 jobs.
At the end of the events, the people went home rejoicing. One of them was overheard saying: “With Hope in the saddle, there’s hope for a greater Imo.”
