Follow Us on Google
Dickson Okafor Chairman,
United Berger Motor Dealers Association (UBMDA), Meche Nnadiekwe, has said that it is too early to assess the performance of Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State but said the governor’s decision to conduct local government polls is commendable.
Critics of Governor Emeka Ihedioha have said he should have continued from where his predecessor stopped instead of pulling down of the structures built by Rochas Okorocha, what is your take?
I’m in support of Governor Ihedioha’s mantra which is ‘Imo Must be Restored’, will put Imo on the path of glory once again. There are some structures that are below standard put up by Okorocha that need to be upgraded in order to save lives and if that must happen, there is need that such structures must first go down. Most of the roads built by the immediate past administration went bad few months after they were constructed and they have remained like that until now. So, the present government is doing everything possible to repair and reconstruct such poorly constructed structures in the state.
Isn’t too early to conclude that Ihedioha is better than Okorocha?
I’m only relaying what we witnessed during the eight years of Okorocha. Ihedioha is just few months into his administration and it is too early to rate him above Okorocha. We are still watching him, but going by his antecedent as former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, he gave good account of himself and so far, he has shown capacity, hence, there is no doubt that he will indeed restore Imo to its past glory.
What is your agenda for Ihedioha?
He should talk less about his predecessor and focus on the task ahead which is to reposition Imo. The more he talks about the immediate past administration, the more he gets distracted. I commend the governor for hitting the ground running through early appointments of aides and heads of government agencies, ministries and departments while we await the appointments of his cabinet.
He should reverse to the original Imo Master Plan which Okorocha jettisoned and implement it to the latter. The governor should as a matter of urgency, improve, complete and equip some of the general hospitals in some local government areas built by Okorocha and some converted into other uses. Satellite areas should be created to reduce housing deficit in the state. It is unfortunate that after the Aladinma and World Bank housing estates constructed by former Governor Sam Mbakwe, no other administration has built such housing estate since 1979.
Unemployment is a great challenge facing not only the state, but the nation. However, I urge Ihedioha to create jobs through overhauling of the state civil service and find a way to resuscitate and inject new blood into the service. Establish factories and industries where toiletries and food beverages can be produced and that can employ a good number of youths. Also, steady power supply and infrastructural development should be put in place to guarantee an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. In terms of security, I give it to Okorocha because under his watch, Imo was secure and I enjoin Ihedioha to not only sustain the level of security in the state, he should also improve on the security architecture of the state.
What is your take on the governor’s decision to conduct local government election in November and the resolve by the Federal Government to detach the allocation of the third tier of government from the state?
Both decisions are a welcome development. In case of the decision to conduct local government election by Governor Ihedioha, it is a step in the right direction. It shows that the governor means well and he is on the right track. You will agree with me that the third tier of government is closer to the grassroots than the other tiers of government. Without constituting local governments, there is no way development can get to rural areas where majority of Nigerians reside. So, the governor has shown that he actually came to move Imo forward. The resolve by the Federal Government to detach allocation of the third tier of government from the state government and send it directly to the council chairmen is another milestone achievement of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. It is long overdue considering the importance of local governments in a democracy, hence the reason the decision is overwhelmingly welcome by Nigerians. Before now, local governments were appendages of state governments but I assure you that if this decision is fully carried out, development will get to the grassroots and there will be less pressure on the state and federal government.
