Ugo Nosiri, Owerri
Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, was on the 15th of January 2024, sworn in as the 7th democratically elected Governor of the state since its creation in 1976.
Governor Uzodimma, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), won the highest number of votes in all 27 local government areas of the state in the November 11, 2023, off-cycle election to clinch back his position as the incumbent Governor.
Although the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, recently validated his election for a second term in office, Senator Uzodimma, was sworn in on the 15th of January 2024.
During his swearing in ceremony, Governor Uzodimma pledged amongst others, to focus firmly on deepening the ‘shared prosperity’ mantra through massive infrastructural expansion to ensure accelerated economic growth, through his administration’s Community Economic Development Initiative.
He also promised that every community in the State would feel the impact of his government with at least one significant project fully executed for them, within the first 12 months of his second tenure. However, the first quarter of that first twelve months has elapsed.
The governor listed priorities of his administration to include road infrastructure, education, health, sanitation, water supply, agriculture, and food security.
Others are housing and development of new cities, digital infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, market access, industrial policy, safety and security, enabling laws and policies, public financial management, and electricity infrastructure.
In tandem with the Nigerian Constitution, Governor Hope Uzodimma dissolved the State Executive Council, which includes all commissioners, special advisers and senior special assistants.
A few days after the dissolution, the governor appointed key officers to run the affairs of the state.
On the 29th of April, Governor Uzodimma inaugurated 24 Commissioners and 16 Special Advisers, and appointed himself to man the affairs of the Ministry of Lands.
Speaking on his self-appointment as the land’s Commissioner, the Governor said it was to enable proper monitoring and management of the ministry by the governor and to rid the ministry of criminal-minded fellows, who have portrayed the government in a bad light.”
Governor Uzodimma is barely four months in office and it can be therefore assumed that he has continued with the execution of the projects he awarded in his first tenure.
Recall that Ikengaonline recently conducted and published a performance research on Governor Uzodimma’s first four years in office in which he posted a very poor score-card in all the eight assessed categories, save for one he earned a pass mark. In that Report, for a total of 100%, he scored: Pass: 12.5%; Fail: 75%; and Indeterminate: 12.5%.
