By Kelechi Mejuobi
Since March 9, 2019, the last governorship election was conducted, the dust raised by the exercise was yet to rest until a year after, courtesy of the Supreme Court review that ended battle for who actually won the contest.
What appears to be the final hammer to stamp the authority of Hope Uzodimma as elected governor was again sealed by the Supreme Court after it failed to regurgitate following a review appeal Emeka Ihedioha brought to challenge his removal by the same apex court on January 14, 2020.
A recap of the ligation that took one year to exhaust saw other candidates rush to the Election Petition Tribunal, EPT, moments after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Ihedioha of the PDP winner of the election. After few contestants withdrew from the Tribunal challenge, Uzodinma of APC, Ifeanyi Araraume of the APGA and AA’s Uche Nwosu continued the legal tussle.
Initially, Ihedioha coasted home with victory at the ETP and Appeal Court but was subdued at the Supreme Court by Uzodinma, prompting the PDP to ask for a review of the case over grey areas the party and candidate alleged shouldn’t have been ignored in the final judgement.
Led by the Chief Judge of the Federation, Mohammed Tanko, the 7-man panel of justices knocked off Ihedioha and PDP review request for certain reasons.
What transpired in the courts and details of the Supreme Court judgement are not the main thrust of this commentary, rather the expectations of Imolites and residents of the state from the governor who is spending two months in office forms the core of the write up.
I have not failed to insist that whoever becomes governor after the administration of Rochas Okorocha, who was in charge of Imo for eight years, would definitely face an uphill task of rediscovering the state. Therefore, Imo people not only expect much from the governor, but would look out for a radical shift from the way government was run in the past.
Undoubtedly, Ihedioha’s brief stay witnessed certain processes aimed at regaining the lost glory of Imo. One is not surprised Uzodinma adopted and continued some of the policies.
Ihedioha came with a Rebuild Agenda encapsulated in certain revival mechanism he entrenched before the Supreme Court blow. But for few minuses, the PDP candidate was at the verge of winning the hearts of many through these reforms. It was not surprising that in some quarters of the state the regret of Ihedioha’s exit is still hovering.
Without further obstacle on the way for Uzodinma, residents of the state expect the Chief executive officer to without further delay move into action and respond to public yearnings for a better Imo.
Uppermost in the minds of the people is for governance to properly kick start appointments of aides and officials to take charge of several units of government. It is also expected that the governor consider naming commissioners to take charge of the ministries. Which as at the time of this production, he has done so.
Before this latest announcement of commissioner nominees, it was observed that Uzodinma adopted a snail speed movement in appointment of aides since he came on board as governor.
Speculations were rife that the review appeal by Ihedioha hampered the quest to include people in his cabinet. Before the Supreme Court review final verdict on 3nd March this year, only few offices were handed to appointees. Feelers from government quarters also have it that the inability of the governor to allocate ministries and key offices to appointees is causing dull moments in government.
One prominent area Uzodinma is expected to delve into is the LGA election. In his maiden speech to Imolites, Ihedioha promised to hold election six months after swearing in. but he couldn’t achieve it until he was sacked. Despite setting up the chairman and Board members of the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC few weeks after his regime came into place, the LGA election couldn’t hold.
Uzodinma in his inaugural speech gave indications to conduct election at the council levels but without giving a time frame.
The decision not to go ahead with caretaker committees for the councils after sacking the ones Ihedioha put in place is a strong signal that LGA elections are underway. But Imolites need Uzodinma to make real his words with a new ISIEC commission members after the dissolution of the Ihedioha team as well as a probable date for the polls.
One major reason behind my strong conviction that Okorocha’s successor would be in trouble, is in the area of roads. At the exit of the former governor, one legacy he left behind was deplorable roads than can only pass as death traps. Okorocha’s exit has shown that the famed 1000 Kilometre roads he claimed to constructed was a tales by moon light feeble. From the hinterland to the metropolitan area of the state, roads are in critical conditions to warrant a state of emergency in the sector. Ihedioha who realized this moved in to award numerous road contracts and went ahead to mobilize the contractors before the rainy season. Uzodinma was applauded when he retained the contracts but shouldn’t hesitate to monitor the projects to be of standard and completed within the time frame, and also award more contracts to cover areas not captured. The coming of the rains have already sent shivers down the spines of residents of the state of another gloomy season if nothing is done about the roads. The governor shouldn’t also refrain from awarding more contracts for the roads not covered by the Ihedioha regime.
On infrastructure, Uzodinma is expected to cover more mileages than Ihedioha in the restoration of social amenities. The removed PDP governor gladdened hearts of Imolites when he moved in for the restoration of the Imo Water Board. For eight years Okorocha was incharge, the taps ran dry. But Ihedioha made it work again. Uzodinma is being looked upon to go beyond the stages to ensure residents of the state get portable water, electricity and other basic amenities.
In the pre 2015 election campaigns, Okorocha who sought a second term mandate came up with “job, job, job and factory, factory, factory” mantra.
Till date, nothing came out of it than the usual boom in hotel and fuel station business that have become trade mark of enterprise in this part of the country. The governor needs to turn around the economic fortunes of the state by continuing in the process of reviving the Avutu Poultry in Obowo, which the Ihedioha administration drummed about its return. There should also be new ways of doing things at the multi-million downstream sector industry called Adapalm than allow predators milk the fortunes of the state dry. If well managed and handled, Adapalm has capacity to provide jobs and employments to the people aside from making the state less dependent to federal allocations. For several years under democracy, Adapalm has been plundered by predators and their collaborators in government. Same goes for the Rubber Estate belonging to the state.
The Uzodinma administration should also thinker for a master stroke that would encourage industrial growth, local manufacturing business outlets. Lesser taxes and charges to private entrepreneurs should be encouraged. Industrial growth which provides jobs for the unemployed youths should be the main focus of the state government. Mention must also be made of the complete transformation of the multi-million tourist sector known as Oguta Lake Motel previous administrations toyed with. Its repositioning will include Imo in the map of tourist centres of the country.
This commentary wouldn’t end without drawing the attention of the state governor to environmental challenges facing the state. Ikedi Ohakim came up with ENTRACO after it was passed into law by the Imo State House of Assembly. ENTRACO was purposely established to make Imo clean. But the challenge of refuse dumps still persist. Even the brief Ihedioha era witnessed the refuse dumps and filfth on the roadside mentality. It was a common debilating sight to behold. One is happy over the appointment of a new ENTRACO GM, it is hopeful that the agency will get rid of refuse dumps from Owerri streets.
Uzodinma should not also lose focus of the fact that Imo is a civil service state where premium should be placed on regular payment of salaries and pensions. The governor is expected to start consideration of the new minimum wage in line with the federal government directives. The reassurances that workers salaries would come before 25th of every month shouldn’t be sheer political rhetoric meant to earn applause from the masses. It should be followed with pragmatic measures to ensure civil servants smile home early every month end.
Uzodinma is expected to take a look at critical sectors like education, health, agriculture and sports to ensure he meets the needs of the people. While building on the strong foundations of his predecessors in the area of education, the state is suffering challenges in the health sector with major hospital facilities in comatose amidst numerous challenges hitting health workers.
While agriculture needs to be revitalized as option for oil prone economy, the governor should look at giant strides Ihedioha made in sports circle before he was removed. Sports activities became paralyzed in Imo when Okorocha asked ministries, agencies and parastatals to dwell more on internal generated revenue for survival. Imo State Sports Council was worse hit as it collapsed with zero sporting activities. Life came back to sports in Imo when Ihedioha moved in. A Sports Commission was established and all machineries put in motion for complete revival including plans to host the 2020 National sports festival. On a final note, the governor should ensure his frequent Abuja visits and photo shows with President Buhari in Aso Rock translates to better tidings for the people.
In the past, residents witnessed such romances a state governor had with the seat of power but it never translated to federal projects and appointments.
More important in what Imolites expect after the Supreme Court is the outcome of the probe panels he inherited from Ihedioha.
People of the state are watching with keen interest what would be his action considering revelations on how billions belonging to the state was carted away in the past.
Imo people are looking up to Uzodinma as a saviour in the new dawn.
