THE SIGNATURE SHOW – INSECURITY IN IMO STATE: BEYOND POINTING ACCUSING FINGER

UCHE ONYEAGOCHA: Swimming In The Ocean Of Killings In Imo State.

Innocent Iwuala
Orogwe
Owerri West LGA.
Imo State.

Let me start by disclosing that I can count on Barrister Uche Onyeagocha as my kinsman haven come from the same local government as me.

But that is where our relationship and compatibility ends.

I have watched from the sidelines his activities of late, and I am clearly appalled and disenchanted with his constant eulogies and energization of the insecurity in Imo State.

Uche Onyeagocha is giving unpatriotic, improper and unpardonable energy to the killings in Imo State and I wonder why.

Most times I keep wondering why an Attorney of law, a man who claim to practice in the temple of justice will continue to paint his own state in bad light before the world. Does it mean he likes swimming in the ocean of blood?

I have made repeated efforts to talk to Onyeagocha as the candidate who want to represent my Owerri zone in the Nigerian senate come 2023 on the need for introspection and good conscience. I remain worried that he is not listening to good counselling for the overall wellbeing of Imo State and her citizens.

My concern is anchored and routed on the daily, weekly and monthly penchant of Uche Onyeagocha to hug the media networks calling out His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma as a purveyor of violence. To me this is immoral, vindictive and carelessness taken to extreme.

Why must a reasonable Imo son move from newspaper houses, to radio stations, to television stations and social media relentlessly making statements and interviews portraying his state government as doing absolutely nothing to combat insecurity.

I have come to the inevitable conclusion that Uche Onyeagocha is pretending to be right when he is knowingly wrong. I see him as driven by pure hate and politics. He is making every attempt to drive away investors from Imo State, if not, why paint such a gloomy picture of Imo State as a place where nothing is working and where everybody has deserted due to insecurity.

Personally, I am not a politician neither am I a member of any political party, but truth be told, I am truly worried. Worried in the sense that Uche Onyeagocha is spending millions of naira buying media time to lampoon the Governor of Imo State and the administration solely on insecurity. Does it mean that he cannot speak on other issues?

We all know the honest truth that the periodic insecurity is limited to only three out of twenty seven local government areas of Imo State namely Orsu, Orlu and Oru East. We also know that in the last few months life, to great extent has returned in these areas. So why the continuous hype by Onyeagocha that the entire Imo State is in flames.

My writing to the public stems from the fact that only yesterday, Mr. Peter Obi held three engagements in Imo State while Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha had about two publicized public engagements. If Imo State is not safe, how come people trooped out for these well publicized occasions.?

As a citizen of Imo State, I am equally concerned to see tranquility in my state. I am desirous of absolute peace. But I also know that peace is never absolute all over the world. Few days ago in the United States, Salmon Rushdie the author of Satanic Verses had one his eyes gorged out at a public function. The opposition Republicans has not told the world that the entire America has collapsed.

I call on Imo people to join hands to assist the government of Imo State to maintain law and order. It is Governor Hope Uzodimma today, and it will be another governor tomorrow. Security is a citizenship engagement. We are all involved.

But spending stupendous amounts of money to buy media presence only to abuse the Governor and paint Imo State as riddled in blood is in bad taste and must be condemned by all people of good conscience.

For me, only Uche Onyeagocha is riddled in bloodbath. Only him is swimming in the ocean of blood not our beloved Imo State.

Dr. Innocent Iwuala is a medical practitioner and writes from Owerri West LGA.

THE VERY limited scope of criticism against Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State

Prince Eze Ugochukwu

Dear Reader, just take a minute to reflect on this. Ask yourself, why has there been a very narrow and limited scope in the criticism of His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State.

Why apart from the issue of insecurity which in any case is peculiar to other South East states, nobody has much else to talk about concerning the performance of Uzodimma.

Is it not surprising? Just think about this deeply then think again and again. The reality will then done on you that just probably, the attacks over insecurity on the Imo State Governor might be contrived, manufactured, fabricated, plotted, designed to ultimately harm an innocent man.

Dear reader, have you bothered again, or let us put it this way – why is it that nobody criticises Governor Hope Uzodimma on health, infrastructure, education, agriculture, water supply, transportation, empowerment, environment, and much more. Does it mean that nobody can talk about these sectors.?

Dear reader, don’t you think it’s becoming clearer to you now.? Search your heart again.

▪Education: Governor Hope Uzodimma recovered the 40 billion naira Eastern Palm University built with state funds but appropriated by a single individual and his family. Uzodimma gave it back to Imo people and remained it K.O Mbadiwe University. The courses are fully accredited by the National Universities Commission  under Uzodimma with studies going on.

A new University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences was established by His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma at Umuagwo, in Ohaji-Egbema local government area.  Its fully functional.

A new Imo State Polytecnic was built and completed from scratch at Omuma, Oru East local government area in less than two years by Uzodimma. Classes has commenced.

▪Health:  The Imo State Specialist Hospital Umuguma is now performing complicated surgeries like spinal and brain injury surgeries. Uzodimma made it possible for the first time.

The Imo State University Teaching Hospital Orlu has been restored to glory. After 11 years on the doldrums, over 150 medical students has been graduated. New medical equipments are now in place for cancer treatment, and other complicated health issues.

Three boutique hospitals are nearing completion at Omuma in Oru East local government area,  Oguta in Oguta local government  and at Umuokanne in Ohaji-Egbema local government area.

The College of Nursery and Midwifery at Awomamma and Aboh Mbaise LGA are fully operational and graduating nurses and midwives for mid level manpower in the health sector.

There is an ongoing construction of 305 Health Centres in the 305 electoral wards in Imo State. About 260 are fully completed.

▪Road Infrastructure: Here Governor Hope Uzodimma is the numero uno. Over 35 municipal roads completed in Owerri capital city and environs. Massive erosion control schemes within Owerri using the ballon technology floodwater Channelization mechanism.

Inter city roads namely, the 45 kilometres Orlu-Owerri dual carriageway is fully completed and the 55 kilometres Owerri to Okigwe highway at 80% completion.

Contract for 135 kilometres of rural roads has been awarded to cover the 27 local government areas of the state. Work is ongoing.

A new Owerri to Umuahia dual carriageway has been flagged off with contractors mobilizing to site coupled with the road leading from Orlu town through Akokwa to the Anambra State border. Both roads cover mire than 75 kilometres.

▪Agriculture: The large Adapalm Plantation has been concessioned out in a tripartite agreement between the Imo State Government, the host communities and the concessioner as shareholders.

The Acharaubo Farm Estate at Emekuku in Owerri North Local Government Area is fully completed and commissioned. Livestock rearing are presently going on.

A new multi million dollar agro industrial processing cluster was attracted by His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma from the African Development Bank in Abidjan.

▪Transporting: The Owerri urban renewal projects has enhanced the transport sector with new modern intersections, traffic lights, a new Imo Transport motor park at Onitsha road, new Traffic Management Authority, new bus stops, and resuscitation of the Imo Transport Company ITC with fleets of vehicles.

▪Water Supply: Working with the USAID and World Bank, with fully paid up counterpart funding, parts of Owerri metropolis now have access to clean hygienic drinking water.

▪ Security: Despite periodic and politically contrived insecurity limited to some areas in just 3 locations of Orlu, Orsu, and Oru East, Imo State is fully secured with businesses booming and markets, schools, hotels all doing business. A well equipped and fully mobilised combine team of security personnel are stationed across the entire state. Enemies of the state government merely and periodically targeting security men for elimination in order to put the state in negative limelight to scare away potential investors.

▪Investors: The oil and gas sector has the likes of Seplat, Waltersmith, Addax Petroluem and now Shell Petroluem doing business in Imo State unencumbered. The hospitality industry is alive with new hotels and eateries springing up. Nite life is fun.

▪ The civil servants in Imo State are adequately catered for. New buses for free transportation of workers, a new civil service clinic, vehicles for all permanent secretaries, and payment of salaries and pensions as at when due. You no longer hear of strikes in Imo State again.

▪Inclusive Governance: Quaterly stakeholders meetings and engagements, establishment of the Imo State Council of elders, inauguration of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers. Put together, the Governor runs an all inclusive administration.

Let me not bore you, but we can go on and on about the good and impactful governance under Governor Hope Uzodimma.

As you have read, help to be a good ambassador of peace and progress. If not for anything,  but for the sake of the common man and ordinary people of Imo State. Be a peace advocate. Let us help our people to benefit from their own government.

Prince Eze Ugochukwu writes from Owerri, Imo State.