It’s unarguably only a dummy in Imo State that’s yet to realize the current political status of the Imo-born politician who bears Chief Emeka Ihedioha.
So, if you aren’t duly informed, let me swiftly notify you and your likes that the bearer of the above name is the leader of the impending government in the Eastern Heartland. It’s therefore needless to say that he’s the next Executive Governor of the ancient state.
His victory at the just concluded polls was rightly and publicly confirmed by the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the Imo guber election, Prof. Francis Otunta who returned him elected having polled a total of 273,404 votes under the auspices of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to defeat his closest contender, Uche Nwosu who garnered a total of 190, 364 votes.
Since after the election coupled with the declaration, the victor’s name has from the outset dominated or been rigorously making waves in the banner headlines of various dailies, perhaps owing to the uncommon intrigues and intricacies that ensued before, during and after the poll.
Two weeks back, Chief Ihedioha – who is the immediate past Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives – graciously inaugurated a 139-man Technical Transition Committee at Owerri, the Imo capital territory.
The high-profile committee led by a past Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Ernest Ebi was charged to deliver a comprehensive advisory report after six weeks of its constitution. It’s noteworthy that aside the transition committee, an Inauguration Planning and Handover Committee led by a past Secretary to the State Government, Chief Chris Okewulonu – that would ensure a successful swearing-in ceremony come May 29, 2019 – has equally been constituted.
Anyone who truly thinks well of Imo is surely expected to render a service or advice that would critically enable the established committee that comprises mainly well-celebrated technocrats and academics – such as Dr. Kema Chikwe, Prof. Jude Njoku, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, Dr. Chris Asoluka, Mr. Ndi Onyeuke, Engr. Chinedu Okparaeke and Dr. Linus Okorie – to come up with the required parameters and recipes.
It’s equally worth noting that the about 200-man inauguration committee equally consist of notable technocrats and highly celebrated leaders such as the likes of Dr. Douglas Acholonu, Chief Achike Udenwa, Engr. Ebere Udeagu, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, a freedom fighter and erstwhile legislator Chief Uche Onyeaguocha and the General Manager of Radio Nigeria Owerri Mr. Basil Uzoma, among others.
The seasoned technocrat Chief Ihedioha, who’s equally meant to be deputized by a technocrat and a former federal lawmaker Engr. Gerald Ironna, is currently in need of well-meaning Imolites towards attaining successes, not sycophants whose presence wouldn’t hesitate in ruining the impending administration on arrival.
The erstwhile presiding officer of the Green Chamber of the National Assembly whose victory cannot be concluded without mentioning the incumbent Deputy Governor of Imo, Prince Eze Madumere, is at the moment conspicuously in need of tech-driven agenda that would enable him tactically steer the affairs of the state when he’s eventually enthroned as its sixth democratically elected governor.
First and foremost, the incoming governor needs to wholly review the education sector in the state toward making holistic amends where need be. It’s not anymore news that technical colleges – not only in Imo but Nigeria at large – have ostensibly gone into moribund unannounced.
These aforementioned institutions of learning, which remain veritable tools in any society that truly adores technology or technically-oriented development, must be revisited in earnest with a view to resuscitating them aptly and timely for the good of all concerned.
Similarly, the state-owned tertiary citadels of learning shouldn’t be left out. Each of these establishments is equally in drastic need of the government’s attention. Hence, the Ihedioha-led upcoming administration is expected to candidly look into any existing lapses towards addressing them, especially in the area of science and technology.
Time has really and obviously arrived for us to focus on or pay greater attention to technical education, which invariably leads to massive entrepreneurship, thereby yielding outpouring enterprises as expected within the shores of the benefitting province.
The health wing is another sector that remains inevitable. It’s on this premise I urge the awaited government not to take this area for granted. The ongoing construction of ‘general hospitals’ in each of the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state ought to be discontinued headlong, knowing full well that such a white-elephant project is just a waste of our common resources.
In view of the above criticism, I enjoin the impending administration to consider reviving the already existing general hospitals and primary health centres within the shores of the state. If they succeeded in uplifting a particular general hospital in at least each senatorial district in the Eastern Heartland to a world-class standard, even people from the neighbouring states would be regularly trouping into Imo to patronize her health services.
It’s only a visitor in Imo that’s yet to realize that public water supply, which used to be a thing of pride in the state – particularly within the capital territory, has abruptly gone into extinction. This kind of utility, that is undoubtedly required by all and sundry, needs to be brought back for the citizenry’s consumption. It’s a shame and appalling that an ancient state like Imo cannot currently boast of potable water supply to the general public, anywhere across the Eastern Heartland.
Hence, I urge Chief Ihedioha to, on assumption of office, not hesitate in setting up a viable and reliable team comprising well-experienced technocrats or tech experts that would look inwards toward resuscitating such utility supply without much ado.
In the same vein, even though power supply is a national issue, the state government also has a very vital role to play in ensuring public supply of electricity within the state – particularly in the area of transmission and distribution.
On the above tech fact, the abandoned Power Plant situated in Egbema in Ohaji/Egbema LGA during the reign of Dr. Sam Mbakwe must be revisited with a view to reawakening its functionality. The proposed revival of this very monumental project equally requires inauguration of a well tested and trusted tech-driven team.
The incoming government ought to as well look inwards to ensure that transformers and other related gadgets are in earnest provided for all the communities domiciled in the state that are presently deprived of such devices. It’s devastating to acknowledge that, at this 21st century, most localities in the state are yet to be electrified let alone boasting of relatively steady power supply.
On agriculture, rigorous strides are seriously needed towards doing the needful. It’s high time we fully embraced modern/mechanized system of commercial farming to the fullness, rather than continually dwelling on crude pattern. The real farmers need to be thoroughly discovered with a view to encouraging them by issuance of low-interest loans, subsidization of the prices of agricultural machinery, and what have you.
The government should also be ready to own and manage farms in various facets of the state. There’s equally need for the state to henceforth boast of rice farms and mills considering that most other states have already keyed into rice production.
Inter alia, I mustn’t round off this analysis without mentioning road construction. A permanent tech-driven team that would perpetually see to the regular construction and maintenance of the various roads within the state needs to be set up. Branches of this proposed team ought to be physically present in each of the 27 LGAs domiciled in the state.
Conclusively, the impending Ihedioha-led administration should be candidly willing and prepared to restore all the economically-oriented firms established by the Dr. Mbakwe-led government that have conspicuously faded into oblivion owing to neglect accorded to them by subsequent governments.
We can’t sincerely overlook the fact that Imo in its entirety is deeply yearning for a serious-minded tech-driven approach towards restoring and rebuilding it, hence the compelling need for Chief Ihedioha alongside Engr. Ironna not to embrace frivolities to the detriment of priorities.
It’s highly understandable – to even a dummy – that by setting up these indisputable high-profile committees, the well-celebrated duo whom have been licensed to govern Imo commencing from the next interregnum till four years time really comprehend that “he who fails to plan has already planned to fail”. Hence, they have started well.
However, as Imolites celebrate the members of the two reputable committees, they ought not to be reminded that they’re expected to concentrate only on the needful as they carry out their respective statutory obligations. Think about it!
Comrade Nwaozor, TheMediaAmbassador, is the
National Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement
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frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056
Twitter: @mediambassador
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