By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
A former Imo Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Macdonal Ebere has called for an honest conversation about continuity and consolidation beyond the tenure of incumbent Imo Governor. Sen. Hope Uzodimma.
Ebere, the immediate APC State chairman and currently, Board Chairman, Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Lagos State made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
Ebere said Imo APC needs to make a perfect winning case to Imo people based on the ongoing achievements of Uzodimma’s administration.
“The honest argument is this: Imo is a state undergoing deep, but necessary structural changes. At this phase, what the state needs is not disruption. It needs political stability and continuity to allow reforms to mature,” he said.
According to him, elections should not be reduced to a mere change of government, but a deliberate choice about what comes next.
He noted that when Gov. Uzodimma assumed office in January 2020, the state was insolvent and almost ungovernable – with debt stock exceeding N280 billion, internally generated revenue below N400 million monthly, a demoralised civil service, and a Government House that could not host government functions.
“The 3R Government of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery was, therefore not politics. It was a vehicle to save Imo,” Ebere said.
Ebere argued that after six years, the dividends of those difficult decisions are now measurable and must not be truncated:
According to him, in the area of Infrastructure, more than 150 roads have been delivered across Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe zones.
“These roads include the landmark reconstruction of Owerri-Orlu, Owerri-Okigwe road, Owerri-Mbaise-Umuahia, Toronto-Orji, MCC-Toronto-Uratta and Orlu-Nkume-Umuowa corridors.
“The Maria Assumpta Flyover, Owerri and Owerri urban renewal among other has reduced the intra-state travel time from 2 to3 hours to less than 45 minutes.
“Again, through financial discipline, the monthly IGR has grown from N400m to over N5bn, while total debt has been reduced from over N280bn to less than N90bn. Imo today builds roads from its revenue, not from overdrafts to pay salaries,” he said.
Ebere said that the Orashi Power Plant and the Light-up Imo initiative have restored steady public power to sections of Owerri for the first time in years and created a template for state-wide power distribution and industrialisation.
“Imo is now rated best state in ICT human capacity development. Through Skill-up Imo, more than 65,000 young Imo people have been trained in AI, cybersecurity and software development.
“K.O. Mbadiwe University was recovered for the people, four state universities are now functional and more than 6,000 teachers about to be recruited and under a biometric, ghost-worker-free payroll.
“In the area of health and social protection, the administration has revitalised general hospitals, health centres across the 27 Local Government Areas and a functional health insurance scheme with free delivery services, including caesarean sections, for Imo women and the first robotic surgery in Nigeria.”
Ebere noted the revitalisation of Concorde Hotel, Owerri, construction of a new International Conference Centre and the Orashi Energy Free Trade Zone – reforms that have restored investors’ confidence, culminating in the recent commendation of Gov. Uzodimma by the U.N Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammad.
In the area of grassroots development and inclusive economic growth, he said that the state launched of One Kindred One Business Initiative (OKOBI) scheme, which has created more 600 businesses with over 20,000 members across the(NAN)
CMY/FEO
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Edited by Francis Onyeukwu