From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Governor Hope Uzodimma has said that Imo State is now in a period of total infrastructure revolution, declaring that there will be no going back.
He spoke on Tuesday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 19, when he undertook a tour of some ongoing critical state projects to assess the level of progress recorded by the contractors.
Some of the key sites inspected in the Orlu Zone area of the state include the already completed Mgbidi-Omuma-Okporo road, the Orlu township road stretching from Banana Junction (Amaifeke)-Umuna-Eziachi-Anara, the reconstructed Legislative Chamber for Orlu Local Government Council, and the Traditional Rulers Council Hall—both of which were destroyed at the height of insurgency in the state.
Uzodimma also inspected the ongoing Imo State Government House Annex at Eziachi, Orlu.
At the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Umuna, Orlu, the Governor inspected the Kidney Transplant Centre, the completed Oxygen Plant, as well as various departments and wards of the hospital, during which he took the initiative to offset the medical bills of all patients in the Male Surgical Ward and others, running into millions of Naira—a gesture that was met with jubilation from the patients.
At the Orlu-Mgbee-Akokwa-Uga road, ravaged by erosion and currently under construction, the Governor praised the quality and techniques deployed by the construction company, describing the work ethic and technology used as top-notch.
On Wednesday, the Governor proceeded to inspect the 46-kilometre Owerri-Mbaise-Obowo-Umuahia road, which has reached 98 percent completion.
The road is expected to be commissioned soon.
Speaking to newsmen after the tour of the projects, he reiterated that what is currently happening in the state is nothing short of an infrastructure revolution aimed at repositioning Imo for sustainable socioeconomic development.
Uzodimma regretted that the Orlu Zone had faced significant challenges due to insecurity, which led to the destruction of many public assets, noting that the current period marks a time of extensive construction in the area, particularly as security has become relatively stable.
“We have a package of multiple constructions and road projects to recover the economy of the zone and also to restore life for our people in this area,” he said.
The Governor further stressed his resolve to positively impact the lives and well-being of Imo people across the three geopolitical zones, hence the intentional efforts of his administration to link communities with properly built roads for easy access.
His words: “Governance is all about evidence of what you have put in place to make life more meaningful for the people. With the available scarce resources of the people, we will do our best to earn and justify the confidence they have in us.”