Nigeria on the march again was a popular jingle, the late MKO Abiola, used to win the hearts of majority of Nigerians during the 1993 Presidential election. The rest is history.
Certainly one can say Imo State is on the march again, on a journey to rediscover the path that will make it great.
Governor Emeka Ihedioha is on the saddle of governance. For six months, he has strived successfully to clean up the mess in the State of the last last eight years.
He was accused of a slow start by the opposition, but all that has fizzled away with proactive measures to rebuild the State in which all sectors are in ruins.
The roads that were un-pliabe have received attention as contractors have been mobilized to site to repair the roads.
Ihedioha has assured that he will build the kind of quality roads, the Late Sam Mbakwe built for the State.
Mbakwe’s legacies still stand tall in Imo. No other State Governor living or dead has equaled Mbakwe’s record, in terms of provision of infrastructure. Since Mbakwe’s exit, Imo has been plagued by absence of infrastructure that is badly needed to stimulate economic development.
Aside bad roads, pensioners had groaned over non payment of their toil of yester years, while workers were under paid.That was the Imo State Ihedioha met.And he got his compass right when he took his time to analyze the problems of the State. He was accused by the opposition of a floppy start but he was unperturbed.
Six months in office, Imo could be said to be on the march again. There are positives. There are encouraging signs in Ihedioha’s Imo State. His rebuild Imo mantra is on track.
The AfriExim Bank is investing 50 million dollars in the State, to make the State the biggest investment hub, in the South East and South South regions.
This is expected to open up the State for serious economic activities, create jobs and change the economic configuration of the State from public service to private sector driven- the needed stimulus to turn around the economy of the State.
Imo has been hunted by absence of an active economy that has stifled economic growth and development for decades. The Africa Quality Assurance Centre, a facility of AfriExim, will be a turn around for Imo.It will break the chain of economic rustiness that has made the State economically redundant.
Jobs for the youths are now returning after many years it looked like there was an embargo on employment in the State.
In six months, there is gradual turn around in education, health sectors and sports development- an area the local governments, now enjoying financial autonomy, are erecting a stadia in their various domains, to encourage talent hunt at the local level.
Again, there are signs of better days.There is governance that can be seen and felt in Imo. Indeed, Imo is on the march again.
“Imo has been hunted by absence of an active economy that has stifled economic growth and development for decades. The Africa Quality Assurance Centre, a facility of AfriExim, will be a turn around for Imo. It will break the chain of economic rustiness that has made the State economically redundant.”
Iwu writes from Owerri