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By Austin Uganwa
Rt. Hon Chukwuemeka Nkem Ihedioha, former Imo State governor, turned 57 on Thursday, March 24, 2022. To his numerous supporters, friends and political associates, this milestone is inherently significant, symbolic and worth celebrating. The reasons are self-evident. First, Ihedioha wears the inestimable apparel as one of the best Imo governors in history in spite of his very short stint. Besides, as a member of the House of Representatives for 12 unbroken years, 2003 to 2015, Ihedioha incredibly bestrode the parliament like a colossus. This was largely instructive in the steady and episodic manner he was returned by his colleagues to occupy the principal position of Chief Whip and presiding seats of Deputy Speaker and Speaker within two out of his three tenures in the House.
At 57, Ihedioha’s milestone is worthy of elaborate pomp. Apart from the manner he injected pre-eminent governance style and development-led trajectories into the elective leadership positions he has occupied over the years, his amazing legacies have been able to impact positively on nation-building, regional, state and constituency levels, since the birth of this political dispensation in 1999. These accomplishments have been captured graphically and succinctly in the later part of this piece.
Moreover, the considerable number of highly esteemed festoons and laurels that has trailed his exceptional performance offers yet another profound basis to celebrate Ihedioha at 57. Only two months ago, January 22, 2022, Ihedioha was honoured with a remarkably valued award by one of the most prestigious Catholic major seminaries in the country, National Missionary Seminary of St. Paul, Gwagwalada, Abuja, on account of his excellent feats when he served as Imo State governor. It was the first time this foremost theological institution would so recognize a political leader. Ihedioha was honoured alongside John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja.
Besides, his six-month tenure as Imo State governor was trailed with prodigious recognitions, honours and awards. For instance, Imo was awarded the least corrupt state in the country resulting from a painstaking survey jointly carried out among the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory by the National Bureau of Statistics and some relevant international development agencies. Prior to Ihedioha’s ascendancy as governor, the state was at the lowest rung of the corruption index, occupying a dismal 34th position.
Similarly, on December 6, 2019, Imo, under Ihedioha’s watch, received an award from the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, as the best developed state in ICT development and second runner-up in e-government during the seventh regular meeting of the National Communication Commission, held in Gombe State Government House, Gombe. That attainment was essentially brought about by Ihedioha’s decision to create Imo State Ministry of Technology Development on assumption of office and, more importantly, his resolve to ensure the provision of needed facilities for the efficient take-off and operations of the new institution. Furthermore, BusinessDay Newspaper, which held its 2019 state competiveness and good governance award, also recognized Imo as the state with the fastest growing economy.
These far-reaching achievements were manifestly accomplished on account of the swift, conscientious and remarkable steps he took to articulate and realize his vision and mission for Imo. His administration designed enduring policies and governance structures that scaled down large-scale corruption in the public sector, resulting in Imo’s recognition as least corrupt state. First, Ihedioha introduced Treasury Single Account that reduced the 250 government accounts to one. Second, the government revitalized the procurement procedure by ensuring that due process was enthroned in the biddings and awards of contracts.
Besides, the regime reinforced the ease of doing business unit that was moribund prior to his administration’s emergence. Imo also joined the Open Government Partnership Scheme that pursues the enthronement of transparency, accountability and responsiveness in government through technology and innovation. The gains from the policy thrust were instant and extensive. Accountability and fiscal discipline were installed, while immense leakages in the financial system of the state were accordingly scaled down, pushing up the internally generated revenue from N250 million to N1.2 billion. Investors’ interest in the state was also rekindled. For instance, the president of the African Export and Import Bank, Prof. Benedict Okechukwu Oramah, arrived in the state in December 2019 prepared to invest over N 62b towards boosting the state’s economy. The investment blueprint has now been, sadly, withdrawn by the organization, citing poor investment climate.
Apart from the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 25 intra- and intercity roads concurrently undertaken towards tackling the gross infrastructural decay in the state, Ihedioha established the state’s Rural Electrification Agency to confront disconcerting power supply in the state. The dignity of labour and the prestige of pensioners was restored with workers’ salary increased and payment of pensioners’ entitlements commenced and standardized after six years of non-payment. The administration ensured full release of monthly financial allocations to the 27 local councils by guaranteeing regular joint accounts meetings.
Painfully, the apex court terminated the seven-month administration at a time when its positive results were beginning to unfold at rather dizzying speed. Not a few local and international observers adjudged the decision as most contrived and controversial in the global histories of apex courts’ judgments. The verdict literarily shook the nation to its foundation. This is more so as Senator Hope Uzodimma, who was used to displace him, came a distant fourth in the governorship election. Ihedioha, consequently, filed a suit in the apex court since two years ago seeking judicial interpretation of its December 20, 2019, ruling that invalidated Uzodimma’s candidature as APC standard-bearer. The application is yet to see the light of day.
A core party man, at 57, Ihedioha remains an unassailable life force and rallying point of the PDP in Imo. His uncommon accomplishments during his tenure as governor have created around him a climate of matchless popularity, etching Ihedioha in the minds of the people as an inimitable pearl of Imo.
• Dr. Uganwa wrote from Owerri
