BY EMMANUEL CHUKWUMA, ENUGU.
The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma has expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction and the speed of ongoing projects in the state ahead of the anniversary of his five years in office.
He stressed that the projects are meant to close the infrastructural gap in the State.
Fielding questions from Journalists while on inspection of the ongoing projects, he said a good number of the projects had recorded appreciable progress and expressed satisfaction.
The ongoing projects that the Governor inspected include Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre (EIICC), Assumpta /Control Post Roundabout Flyover, Ellen Seilif/DSS/Onitsha road, Works Layout Roads, Aladimma/Chukwuma Nwoha/Egbu road, Engr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu/Okigwe road flyover, and the 3-R Government digital complex located at ICAPS Egbu road, Owerri.
He said, “Most of the projects in the urban renewal program are making huge progress. The idea is to decongest the gridlock in the city and reduce stress and the inconveniences to travelers coming in and going out of the state,” he explained.
The governor noted that after the removal of fuel subsidy, the income of the states from the Federal Allocation Accounts Committee (FAAC) was appreciated, saying that for leaders who are God-fearing, it gladdens their heart that the resources from the Federal Government are deployed to tangible projects, and to recover the infrastructural gaps created in the past due to high cost of living.
Uzodimma, who expressed satisfaction with the way the works are being carried out, said he was also happy that Imolites are “gradually coming to terms with the reality in Imo State.”
He added that the 3-R administration has not done badly in the first year of his second tenure going by the promises he made on his inauguration on January 15, 2024, when he assured that he would increase the number of Infrastructure, healthcare services, education, schools, and human resources development, as well as the speed of his developmental projects.
“With what is going on, the citizens are beginning to build confidence day-by-day in the government because the government is returning trust that was lost in the past.”He reassured me that he would do more to get the full buy-in of the people.
“When you are working, the people will acknowledge it and will begin to see your efforts, and gradually, they will begin to buy into your ideas; in that way, you will get sustainable confidence.”
Governor Uzodimma also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the courage to remove the fuel subsidy that has made more money available to both the Federal Government and the sub-nationals through the Federal Allocation Accounts Committee.
His words: “These monies must be deployed to things that will make people feel the positive impact of subsidy removal, things like repairing and replacing government infrastructure, investing in agriculture, livestock development, and food security, making sure that public institutions like hospitals and schools are made to function so that the value is felt by the people.
“In reconciling the negative effect of the subsidy removal and the benefits in terms of social infrastructure, social benefits and ease of doing business occasioned by the provisions of more money coming to the states, State Governments must do things to show the citizens that more monies are coming to them in form of putting lives back to the citizens. People must feel happy and the jubilation must be there.
“When the Government says something they should be able to do it. That is the whole idea of governance.’’
