By Peter Okolie
The Renewed Hope National Media Tour team is inspecting the federal and state governments’ projects across the South-East geo-political zone.
The team, comprising Renewed Hope Ambassadors and officials of the Presidential Communications, on Wednesday inspected a number of strategic federal and state government projects in Imo.
The Tour is an initiative of the Gov. Hope Uzodimma-led Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.
It is aimed at providing Nigerians with firsthand information on the implementation of key federal and state governments’ infrastructure projects across the country.
It also aims to promote transparency, accountability and public awareness of ongoing development initiatives during the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The delegation including members of the Presidential Communications Team and over 40 senior journalists, toured the completed 56-kilometre Okigwe–Owerri Road.
It also inspected the 36-kilometre Owerri–Obowo–Umuahia Road, and the ongoing upgrade and construction of the standard runway at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport.
Other projects inspected were the newly-upgraded Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri now upgraded to Federal University of Technology as well as the Federal Medical Centre Owerri upgraded to a Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital Owerri.
Speaking during the inspection, Mr Declan Emelumba, Imo Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, said the projects were the dividends of the partnership between the Federal and State Government.
He noted that the expansion of the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport was designed to transform the facility into a major logistics and export hub, with eight modern warehouses for storage and cargo handling expected to boost agricultural exports, commerce and investment in the South-East.
According to the Commissioner, several of the landmark projects were financed by the State Government through the expanded fiscal space available to subnational governments following the economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“The Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education used to be Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri, previously owned by the state. Now, the Federal Government has upgraded it to a university less than a year ago.
“What is important here is not just that it has been upgraded, It’s a project that has been dear to every government that has ruled Imo State but none was able to accomplish it because this is one of the oldest Federal Government Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
“So every government in Imo struggled to get it converted but couldn’t realise it until the coming of Governor Hope Uzodimma. And this was realized less than a year ago,” he said.
Emelumba said the project had generated significant employment opportunities for Imo people and had also attracted TETFUND projects.
The Commissioner added that the enhanced funding has enabled Uzodinma’s administration to accelerate infrastructure development while complementing federal interventions across critical sectors, including transportation, healthcare and education.
He pointed out that the achievements also demonstrated the shared development vision of Tinubu and Uzodimma, whose administrations are working in synergy to deliver sustainable development and improve the quality of life for Nigerians.
Earlier, Mr Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Special Duties, said that the execution of projects in Imo demonstrated the significance of a state aligning with the federal government for development purposes.
Rahman commended Uzodimma for undertaking projects that support the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Especially the educational initiatives like “NELFUND” which ensures indigent students have access to affordable education, preventing them from abandoning school due to financial constraints.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team will continue inspection of other legacy projects undertaken by the Federal and state governments across Imo in Thursday. (NAN)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz