BY OKEY UMUNNA, EVELYN ANYASODOR
Knocks and kudos have come the way of Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, after he hosted a stakeholders meeting on January 4, 2022, at Government House, Owerri- the sixth since he assumed office on January 20, 2020.
Prior to the summit, the State government said the Governor, on the day of the summit, would reveal the names of those sponsoring insecurity in Imo State.
In 2021, Imo State was plagued by security challenges which range from kidnapping and banditry. Unknown gunmen also unleashed terror and horror on citizens of the State.
When Uzodimma eventually said he would announce those behind it, there was frenzy in the State. Expectations were high.
But the Governor failed to fulfill his promise, saying he would not do so because it would compromise ongoing investigation of security agencies.
Reactions have trailed Uzodimma’s u turn, with individuals and groups in the State firing salvos at the Governor.
A watchdog based in the State, Imo Awareness Coalition, IAC, said “Uzodimma took a wise and safe path, not to mention those behind insecurity in Imo State”
Spokesman of the Coalition, Fidelis Echendu said “He would have usurped the functions and duties of the security agencies if he had done so. And perhaps, the State government would have been neck deep in litigations if he had gone ahead to make such public revelation.
Echendu noted that there are other salient issues raised by the governor, at the stakeholders meeting, which deserves attention by Imolites.
He said “The Governor assured that Owerri- Orlu Road will be completed in April 2022 and that work will commence on another major road in the State, the Owerri- MCC Road in January, I think we should look forward to this.
A Public Policy Analyst, Mr. Njoku Mac Donald Obinna, said Governor Uzodimma dribbled his political opponents by not mentioning those behind insecurity in the State
He wrote “While it is not yet the season of ‘ April Fools .’ Ironically, Onwa played his political enemies as their hopes were dashed and ego punctured by a rather Maradonic Sen. Hope Uzodimma, who at the end of his impressive and entertaining long speech, reneged on his avowed promise to name the trouble makers of a once peaceful Imo State”
Mr. Mike Anyasodor, a media consultant based in Owerri, said the Governor’s failure to name the sponsors of insecurity in the state “took off the shine of the stakeholders meeting”
“The State government should have extensively weighed the pros and cons of mentioning the names of those sponsoring insecurity in the state before telling Imolites that the Governor would mention their names at the stakeholders meeting.
“There are other gainful points from the stakeholders meeting but no one is talking about them because the state government shot itself on the foot by putting the cart before the horse” Anyasodor said.
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