Governor Hope Uzodimma is a ‘destiny man’, a heroic figure, someone predestined by a higher power to have a significant impact on the world, irrespective of circumstances. And this is why: On January 14, 2020, the atmosphere in Imo state was businesslike. Few people were aware of what was going on that day at the Supreme Court in faraway Abuja. Even those who knew couldn’t imagine a victory coming Uzodimma’s way. But the man appeared supremely confident in the outcome of the Supreme Court judgement. He said it was all anchored on his prayer to God.
It came to pass few hours later, as the apex court nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha, and declared Uzodimma as the duly elected Governor of Imo state. He was sworn in the next day. That’s how his journey to govern began. On January 15, 2025, Uzodimma wrapped up five years of a historic success as Governor of the state. By any reasonable measure, the achievements recorded within this period are performance-based, with benchmarked results. They are all visible to any any discerning person, except to those who are always whining like lonesome dogs at the mention of Uzodimma’s accomplishments.
The halls of power in Nigerian politics are littered with the remains of politicians who came into politics apparently determined to make government run like business. However, many of them failed because they never understood that there’s little relationship between what goes on in the public and private sectors. Gov Uzodimma like anyone else, though not perfect, he is vision-driven. In the last five years, the man has turned into a visionary of breathtaking scope.
From his 8 years experience in the Senate during which he chaired the Committee on Aviation, and later, that of Customs & Excise, he seems to have mastered the intricacies of governance like a Chess player. Every step, every move, and policy are carefully thought through. That’s why he has confounded his opponents who gave him little chance to succeed. Some achievements are like a bikini, it reveals more than it can hide. Such are infrastructure projects like roads, flyovers, hospitals, And you ask, are his habitual critics and doubting Thomases, blinded not to see them? Infrastructure projects are like signatures. They can be verified.
That’s what the management of Vanguard newspaper said it saw, and verified before making Uzodimma the “Infrastructure Governor of the Year 2024”. Two years earlier, in February 2022, the Sun publishing Limited, publishers of Sun newspapers, one of the influential media organisations in the country, had recognised Uzodimma as the Governor of the Year for his visionary prowess in infrastructural development. It was not for nothing.
Prior to the Sun award, top journalists in the country, drawn from both print and electronic media visited Imo state to ascertain whether the claim by the state government regarding its achievements in road infrastructure and in other sectors were real or contrived as alleged by the opposition in the state. On April 11, at Eko Hotels and Suites Convention Centre, the Vanguard Personality awards confirmed Uzodimma’s feat in infrastructure. Since then, his critics have been having sleepless nights, faulting Vanguard’s criteria.
Truth is, whether in politics or business, there’s one constant lesson in leadership: Success has a pattern, so is failure. Both are predictable. You can glean that from the vision of leader who is prepared for the task of governing. The starting point is laying out plans, prudently using available resources for greater purposes. Those who have stumbled on the last rung of the ladder or failed at the top, is because don’t know what to do with the resources and power acquired.
Often, this is the reason: Without a vision beyond its own advancement, many leaders, find themselves paralyzed once the goal of getting power has been achieved. But Gov Uzodimma says he’s uniquely different. He says he has a covenant with God to serve the people of the state and improve their wellbeing. Way back in July 2021, at a stakeholders’ meeting in Owerri, Uzodimma revealed the secret, the vision that drives him to perform. “I prayed to God that if He makes me Governor, I will use the opportunity to serve the people. God answered my prayer. I cannot afford to disappoint Him”.
That was what led to his ‘Shared Prosperity’, anchored on a tripod of 3-R – Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction. As the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba puts it, “In a way, it’s easy to fit Uzodimma into the mould of one of those few leaders who are driven by a passionate vision to excel- a leader who is endowed with the creative energy to translate vision into reality, thus making life better for the people”.
The Vanguard award is a recognition that there’s so much one man, driven by vision can do for his people. The award is not only for the Governor but for his cabinet for a job well done. Unknown to critics, awards bestowed on serving office holders are benchmarks for measuring progress. It promotes transparency and accountability in public service. Uzodimma’s Urban Renewal programme has witnessed the rehabilitation of about 200 internal roads. There’s also the ongoing construction of flyover at the popular Control Post/ Assumpta Cathedral. This excludes achievements in other sectors like education and health, all of which, Uzodimma says are being executed without borrowing.
Outside the state capital, there’s an ongoing construction of 135km roads across the 27 local government areas of the state. Each local government will benefit from the construction of 5km road. This is in addition to about 500km of roads already completed. No surprise to see streams of congratulatory messages to Uzodimma on the Vanguard award. It’s all about honour well-deserved. Sen. Chris Anyanwu a respected journalist and author, describes the award attest to Uzodimma’s determined focus on transforming the state.
Some of the landmark roads infrastructure include Owerri -Okigwe express road, Owerri -Umuahia, road, Orlu- Mgbidi road, Orlu-Omuma-Mgbidi, and Owerri-Mbaise-Obowu road. Few days after the Vanguard award, a delegation of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) arrived Owerri to launch the anniversary logo of the organisation and commission a road project in the state.
After visiting some projects executed by the governor, the NDDC officials described Uzodimma a “Roadmaster”.
It’s a fitting description of a master builder. Perhaps not being talked about among Uzodimma’s numerous achievements is the prompt payment of pensions and gratuities. Altogether, my advice to Gov Uzodimma and his team is to build on the solid performance of the last five years. He should not feel self-satisfied. He needs to keep pressing himself to improve to reach higher levels. He should continue to search for core ideas that will cement his legacy. That’s why Dee Sam Mbadiwe remains a reference point to successive leaders in Imo state and other South East states .