Every election has its means and ends because no two elections are the same. Therefore, the much talked about Imo State November 11, 2023 governorship election, with all its attendant symbolic and historic allures, promises to be memorable as well as exciting.
It is the first time Imo will be among the states in the country whose governorship polls are organized as off season election. The November battle is equally the first governorship election in Imo where Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, the Ugwumba Okigwe, will not be on the ballot since 2007 or didn’t get involved at all – in 2015, he lost the PDP governorship ticket to Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha. This election is equally the first where Ihedioha himself will not be contesting for the governorship since 2015.
Remarkably, the Imo 11/11 off season election is an epoch making event because the three leading gladiators, namely, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress, APC., Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP., and the Labour Party’s (LP) Senator Athan Achonu, were colleagues at the Red Chamber in 2015.
Interestingly, all three men were then of PDP stock whereupon Uzodimma represented Imo West otherwise known as Orlu Zone, Anyanwu who is also known as Samdaddy represented Imo East or Owerri Zone just as Achonu represented Imo North or Okigwe Zone before he was sacked by the court. In other words, these three leading candidates know one another very well.
In view of his avowed demonstrative ingenuity towards his 3R policy and mantra of recovery, reconstruction and reconciliation, Uzodimma has, no doubt delivered on his campaign promises of 2019.
The question therefore should be, is Uzodimma truly carrying out any recovery? The answer is overwhelmingly in the affirmative because he has recovered K. O. Mbadiwe University in Ideato., recovered IBC Training School at Orji, Owerri North as well as public hotels, hospitals, schools hithertho occupied by few private citizens but now fully owned by the Imo State Government.
Again, is Uzodimma in any way giving attention to reconstruction? Again, the answer is a resounding yes. He has reconstructed the Owerri – Port Harcourt Road which was in a deplorable condition for more than 20 years before his emergence. Our amiable governor had reconstructed the Owerri – Orlu Road which for more than three decades was both a night as well as death trap to motorists.
Ever visionary and always keeping to his promises, Governor Uzodimma has, against all odds, reconstructed and refixed the ever boisterous Owerri – Okigwe Road which was outrageously notorious in view of a segment called Ekemele which was embarrassingly impassible as motorists and commuters literally passed nights of horror at that killing point.
Also, the Owerri – Mbaise – Obowo Road which leads to Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, which currently under massive reconstruction is another eloquent testimony of Uzodimma’s delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
Besides the federal roads which serve as economic gates the state, there are about 35 other link roads, avenues and streets the governor has either constructed or reconstructed across the state.
In the area of reconciliation, Uzodimma has proved that he is master strategist in the area of crisis and conflict resolutions as he has significantly reunited Imolites who were before his election as governor severely disunited across party lines.
It was not for nothing that seven members of the State Working Committee, SWC, of the PDP resigned en masse and joined APC. In likewise manner, the entire executive of the Imo PDP Elders Council resigned and collapsed into APC just as all of the four PDP members of national assembly of 2029/ 2023 set, namely, Hon Ikenna Elezieanya of Owerri Federal Constituency., Rt Hon Jerry Alagboso of Orsu/Orlu and Oru East Federal Constituency., Rt Hon Bede Ekeh of Aboh Mbaise, Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency., and Mbaitolu/ Ikeduru Federal Constituency representative, Rt Hon Henry Nwawuba.
Besides, Uzodimma has put Imo on the path of technological advancement as he has, through his various numerous technology based programmes and projects, like the recently concluded Skill Up Imo, promoted science and technology among the Imo youths and students.
In all other areas like agriculture, sports, health, education and civil service, Uzodimma’s Maidas Touch has been quite effective.
Even in non tangible concerns like breaking the traffic gridlock at Douglass Road, Wetheral Road, Fire Service Round About, MCC Junction and Warehouse, the governor has been outstanding through his giant strides.
Also, given his youth and women empowerments, Uzodimma has practically demonstrated his capacity, competence and character as a leader with panache and capability.
As the November 11 governorship election draws nearer, majority of the Imolites are aware that Uzodimma has worked and are still working, in spite of the ravaging insecurity in the state.
To underscore his immense love for APC and the people of the state, Uzodimma is embarking on massive governorship campaigns to drive home his message of unity, togetherness, peace and progress. Everywhere he goes, he tells his teeming supporters that insecurity is evil, insisting that freedom guarantees prosperity.
Perhaps, one salient achievement of the Uzodimma administration is the coming into being the Imo Charter of Equity which will promote fairness, justice and equity in the conduct of future governorship elections among the three zones in the state.
Put together, since it said that one good term deserves another, Uzodimma expressely deserves another term to continue his good job he started on January, 2020.
NWOKE DIKE, AN AMERICAN TRAINED PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR WHO HAILS FROM NGOR OKPALA, IS SA TO THE GOVERNOR ON K. O. MBADIWE UNIVERSITY, IDEATO.
