Counting the Gains of Visionary Leadership in Imo State under Uzodimma…Vanishing of gridlocks in Owerri

A visionary leader can be described as a person, who has a clear idea of how the future should look and sets out concrete steps to bring his/her vision to life with his team as enablers.

Visionary leaders are known for breaking away from what is common. They lead with intention and enthusiasm in a way that makes their supporters happy to follow. They are persistent and do not settle for “good enough.” Visionary leaders are eager to try new things, find new opportunities and know how to stay the course. They are dogged and resolute. They never give up, even when things get difficult.

Once upon a time in the blessed and glorious Imo State, there was an outrageous era of bad leadership that culminated in eight wasted years of poor governance, nepotism, substandard and poorly constructed infrastructure including buildings, roads, flyovers, tunnels – that were as dark as hell and avoided by motorists because it was a death trap. Others include uncompleted city gates without gates, statutes without meaning that some reasoned were occultic, expensive as well as obstructive roundabouts  that are outdated and which mirrored the inadequacies of faulty leadership.

After the attempt to impose a greenhorn on Imo was roundly rejected by the masses, who were shortchanged for so long, the right choice was made in Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, who came as a visionary leader with courage, clear direction and determination to make a difference.

Governor Uzodimma named it 3-R standing for recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. 3-R also stands as the essential underpinning of his vision.

In May 13, 1940, Churchill faced the House of Commons for the first time as prime minister and warned members of the hard road ahead—“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”—and committed himself and the nation to all-out war until victory was achieved. Behind the simplicity of aim lay an elaborate strategy to which he adhered with remarkable consistency throughout the war. Hitler’s Germany was the enemy; nothing should distract the entire British people from the task of effecting its defeat. Anyone who shared this goal, even a Communist, was an acceptable ally.

According to Sir Martin Gilbert,  Churchill’s “astonishing vision” was propelled by “clarity as to the purpose of the war – that it was a just war, a war being fought against evil.”

The foregoing incursion into history is pertinent to the understanding of  the 3R-Mantra of Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.

The Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, like Prime Minister Churchill is clear regarding his vision and consistent about it. Like British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, during the Second World War, he delegates freely but also monitors continuously, regarding nothing as too large or too small for his attention.

His words: “I came quite prepared. I came with a spelt out manifesto of “three Rs,’  namely: Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery anchored on a new Imo State of shared prosperity. So from day one I hit the ground running

“Of course I met enormous challenges on ground. For instance there was no handover note to me. I also met an empty treasury.  Yes the challenges were there but they did not daunt me because I  came in with a clear road-map and I can tell you that there is Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery going on in Imo state,” and I add, one of such is the surmounting of traffic hold up in Owerri.

Fact remains that before the emergence of Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma as Governor, the traffic situation was chaotic with  bogus and archaic roundabouts that worsened it.

When he began the Owerri Urban renewal project many detractors thought he never meant business. Then came the demolition of the obnoxious roundabouts and  reconstructions at multi-leg intersections at  Warehouse, Fire Service, entrance to Government House and others.

The reconstructions no doubt aggravated the already bad traffic situation and invidious critics found in it a ready munition to lambast the Government of Senator Uzodimma with irritating vituperations and diatribes that were unnecessary but energized by wanton ignorance and desperate hate.

However, Governor Uzodimma succeeded in proving his unreasoning critics wrong with what he has put in place at the multi-leg intersection points in Owerri as traffic now flows seamlessly as guided by well-timed traffic lights.

Today, the uninformed naysayers and political foes, have gone blind and dumb and so they shall remain until after 2023 -24 general election.

Certainly, this Christmas will be unique because returnees will enjoy unhindered flow of traffic and a more beautiful city of Owerri, under renewal – all dividends of democracy accomplished by the All Progressives Congress  (APC) – led government of Imo State.

Indeed,  Imo State is on the trajectory of irreversible and sustainable economic, social, cultural and infrastructural development powered by visionary leadership.

To God be the glory.