By Oguwike Nwachuku
Exactly 65 years today, our amiable Governor, Hope Odidika Uzodimma; Chairman, Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Chairman, South East Governors’ Forum (SEGF) was born. December 12, 1958, to be precise, he was ushered into the waiting hands of the humble, but royal family of Igwe Michael and Ezinne Rose Uzodimma, in Ozuh Omuma, in today’s Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State.
What a great honour, therefore, to be among those celebrating one of Imo’s most courageous and compassionate leaders. Also, what a great opportunity to thank God for His abundant grace upon Hope, which has sustained him in a country like Nigeria, where life expectancy is more or less a gamble.
As expected, goodwill messages from family, friends, associates, well-wishers, et al, both within and outside the country, are competing for space on the Governor’s communication gadgets because of the peculiarity of his birthday this year.
One is almost certain he may not be done reading the messages one week after the birthday.
Sixty-five years means a lot in the life of an individual.
Different appellations have also been ascribed to the number. One says: “65 is a reminder that with hard work, dedication and determination, anything is possible. The number encourages us to take risks at our own pace. We must keep an open mind when it comes to achieving our life goals.”
Another says: “The Angel Number 65 is associated with spiritual awakening and enlightenment. So, when it comes to careers, it can indicate that you are on the right path towards fulfilling your purpose. This number could also signify that you are being guided towards a career that aligns with your spiritual values.”
Something, obviously, is peculiar about Uzodimma’s birthday this year. The people of Imo appreciate the good work he has been doing since he came on board and are proud to identify with his sterling performance. No wonder they voted massively for his reelection recently and unanimously agreed that he should continue to govern them beyond January 15, 2024, when his first tenure in office expires.
Putting it more succinctly, re-electing the Governor is a unique, rare birthday gift that is worth the pomp and circumstance from all of us.
This time last year, yours sincerely reminded us that we shall be here this year to appreciate God in a special way for an incredibly good man, whose 2023 birthday would coincide with his reelection victory. While I lay no claim to being a prophet, on this, there is no contradiction.
Barely three years and 10 months now, Saturday, January 15, 2020 to be precise, when the Senator that was representing Imo West mounted the saddle as Governor of Imo, there was no indication the public was ready to allow him prove his mettle. The sincere message of hope he brought to Imo people on assumption of office fell on deaf ears and got drowned in the cacophony of hate speeches and fake news.
Mind you, Uzodimma’s brief swearing-in was marked by fanfare. The expectation was also huge. But almost immediately, the fanfare and excitement were displaced. Deep-seated, orchestrated hatred and sponsored negative publications in the mainstream and social media took over. Invented, contrived insecurity and other abominable tendencies that hitherto were alien to our dear Imo were incredibly served the state.
Uzodimma’s crime: he won election via judicial pronouncement, something not exclusive to him in Nigerian politics. The Supreme Court ruling on January 14, 2020 indicating that Emeka Ihedioha usurped the office of Imo Governor and, ab initio, did not win the election in 2019, was given different interpretations by seen and unseen forces. For months and even years unending, those forces became the chief tormentors of the state, opposing and sponsoring all kinds of things in Imo against Uzodimma. They deployed overt and covert attacks and criticisms via blackmail, slander, propaganda, fake news, hate speeches and other inexplicable negative conversations, in and outside Imo, against his administration. All attempts to let the people rethink what those who lost power and were determined to undermine the relatively young government of Uzodimma had told them fell on deaf, symphonic rhythmic ears.
The single, most important line was: Bring Hope Uzodimma down willy-nilly; don’t give him any breather or the opportunity to succeed in the assignment God assigned to him. Did they care what happens to the generality of Imo people? How could they when they vowed to make the state ungovernable for Uzodimma?
By hook or crook, they entered into unholy alliance with purveyors of fake news and hate speech, who made the social media, in particular, their dwelling place, ravaging Imo with all manner of tools available to them and inventing tales they knew were unfounded and outright falsehood.
Again, their next target: Crouch Uzodimma to submission and make him unelectable for a second term in office, and prove that the apex court was wrong in its January 14, 2020 judgement.
Unfortunately for them, the Apex Court on December 5, 2023 affirmed for the third time its ruling that Uzodimma won the Imo governorship election in 2019. In their ruling on another application by Ihedioha’s PDP that Certificate of Return be retrieved from Uzodimma and given to him, the Supreme Court described the prayer as lacking in merit, unnecessary, vexatious, strange, frivolous, unwarranted, and designed to mock the Apex Court. It proceeded to mete N40million as sanction to the appellants for their indiscretion.
Uzodimma has an unusual attribute: dose of courage from God. With that, he leaves no one in doubt that his government is headed for a historic, divine direction, regardless of the distractions. If anything, the physical, psychological and spiritual afflictions remind Uzodimma that there is no alternative to fixing his eyes on the ball. And he does.
We have reiterated time and again that Uzodimma got no hand-over note on assumption of duty. He had no money to run government affairs. He inherited a disoriented civil service, all round broken down infrastructure, impassible city and rural roads, backlog of unpaid pension arrears, among others. In fact, there was no living Imo, practically speaking, but a hackneyed entity at the corridor of the morgue desperately looking for revival.
When the first test of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) crept into Nigeria, and found its way into Imo like it did in other states, Uzodimma was undaunted, focused and emerged from the situation stronger with the strategy he deployed in dealing with the pandemic.
On the second litmus test: the #EndSARS# protests with its attendant destructions nationwide, God, the Architect of the Universe and the Compass driver of the ship of Imo, showed Uzodimma the way to follow. He did and, amazingly, was able to convert the protesting youths to his friends such that today, his government has assiduously pulled the youths out of the streets with the Skill-Up Imo project.
Steadily, work went on across the state on critical roads and things began to take different shape in Imo. The junction renewal project, the balloon technology-driven approach to solving the perennial flood in Owerri metropolis, the Otamiri water scheme, free transportation for civil servants, official vehicles for judges and permanent secretaries, automation process for seamless payment of workers’ salary, recovery of Adapalm, among others, became the early interventions of the Uzodimma administration that tested his message of hope.
By now, Uzodimma’s natural intelligence, wisdom, strategic thinking mien and commitment to public good have begun to manifest in Imo. It did not take long before some came to terms with the reality that is Uzodimma’s government, anchored on the 3R mantra of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery.
We also knew that his government was not just ordained by God, but a purposeful one, devoid of deceit, corruption, recklessness, fraud and arbitrariness.
His is a people-oriented government committed to serving the public sincerely, regardless of what his traducers may think. As a licensed driver, Uzodimma was fully prepared to pilot the affairs of Imo.
Expectedly, the same public that hitherto imbibed junk reports on Uzodimma gradually began to reject such unjustified tales his rabid critics tried to hang on his neck. They began to see through his political journey and career, his hard-work, handiwork, dedication, determination, openness and love for state, God and humanity. They came to the conclusion that Uzodimma could as well be that rejected stone that has become the chief cornerstone.
Now, accustomed to the trajectory the Uzodimma government is headed, including his already great deeds in Imo, the public had no choice than to reciprocate his love for them.
On May 7, 2022, the Sun Publishing opened the floodgate of recognitions that later became synonymous with the Governor and indicates he is on the right track of good governance index. The newspaper honoured him with its Governor of the Year (2021) award.
Managing Director of the company, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh, in the letter to Uzodimma, said: “We note that as governor, you are silently working to make the State better. Although your achievements seem to be drowned by security challenges, they are there for those who are unbiased to see.
“Within the short period of being in office, you have given Imo indigenes many reasons to be happy. You are recovering from previous State actors, private property acquired with State resources. You have also recovered lands illegally taken from hapless citizens by previous State actors and given them back to the original owners.
“At a time public utilities are in decay across the country, Uzodimma is restoring hope by rehabilitating roads and other infrastructure. For the first time in decades, public taps are dispensing water in some parts of Owerri….”
Ukeh also listed the secondary and tertiary educational institutions Uzodimma’s government built/remodeled across the State.
Too many laudable projects had long been commissioned in Imo since the Sun’s Award. They include: the Owerri-Orlu, Owerri-Okigwe dual carriageways, the MCC-Road Safety (Egbu) road, the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport to Owerri-Aba road, among others. Work is progressing speedily on the Owerri-Mbaise-Umuahia road, the MCC-Toronto-Ekemegbuoha market road, the dredging of the Oguta Lake/Urashi River up to the Atlantic Ocean, among others.
The Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Owerri has replaced the former Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, the Alvan Ikokwu Federal University of Education has replaced the Alvan Ikokwu Federal College of Education, the Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Ogboko, is now in the kitty as the third Imo State-owned University, competing favourably with other universities in Nigeria, there is a new Polytechnic at Omumma, and a remodeled and rebranded University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo to make it a cutting-edge institution.
Lest I forget, are the imposing brand new Imo State House of Assembly Complex, the General Hospitals at Omuma, Egbema and Oguta respectively equipped with cutting edge technology, et al. No sector has been left unattended to by Uzodimma.
Against all permutations, Uzodimma has proven the naysayers wrong with his superlative performance, just four years in office, despite the invention of insecurity by his opponents to undermine his government.
Imo people have come to appreciate his leadership qualities that have been lacking in the State for years. They have come to love his passion for service. Suffice to say that now, they have known the truth which Uzodimma’s opponents never wanted them to know and that truth has set them free from the bondage of the few.
Part of that truth is the sanity Uzodimma is working hard to inject into Imo politics with the Charter of Equity. Before now, Imo people had had their fair share of leaders, who concentrated their energy on amassing the people’s common patrimony and using same to dehumanise them.
They have learnt from Uzodimma that politics of avarice, rabid materialism and waste has not been helping them over the years; hence, change becomes inevitable.
Imo people have realised that Uzodimma’s preoccupation is to serve them and do good to them. They seem to agree with Aristotle, who wondered, “What is the essence of life, if not to serve others and to do good?”
Today in Imo, it is difficult to point to anyone who would say Uzodimma is not at home with the people. That was not the situation in the past, but it is the current reality.
Back to the number 65, the question as it relates to Uzodimma’s birthday is: Is Uzodimma dedicated to his job? Is he taking risks for Imo? Does he keep an open mind? Does he have high spiritual awakening and enlightenment? Is he on the right career path? Has he fulfilled his life purpose?
I can hear Imo people shouting yea to all the posers.
Therefore, what the Imo 65th birthday gift to the Governor says is that Uzodimma started strong and will finish strong in January 2028. The gift suggests that his hard work, dedication and determination are coalescing with his spiritual awakening and enlightenment to provide him with the career fulfilment of service to God and mankind which he craves for.
A prayer for the birthday boy: May God reward Hope for being selfless, kind, compassionate, considerate, loving and real. May God bless
Hope’s New Year with uncommon blessings and cause all his unfulfilled dreams to be realised. More importantly, may God grant Hope many more years in divine health.
Happy 65th birthday, Onwa Imo!
● Nwachuku, Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to Governor Uzodimma, writes from Owerri