The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State, has passed a damning verdict on Governor Hope Uzodimma administration, saying the state has collapsed since he became governor of the State two years ago.
In a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Mazi Emenike Nmeregini and made available to newsmen in Owerri, the party said Uzodimma’s two years in office has been marred with “desperate usurpation, bloodshed, treasury looting, starvation and hopelessness”
The PDP also described the Supreme Court judgment which truncated the Emeka Ihedioha administration as bizarre and controversial, noting that “the adverse implications of that ruling on the nation’s electoral jurisprudence and freedom of choice, regime has in the last two years foisted the most reprehensible administration upon the people of Imo State”
The PDP accused the administration of abdicating “the primary obligation of government as prescribed by the Constitution, which is the security of lives and property.
“Rather, it has politicized an unfortunate security situation in the state which has continued to gulp countless innocent lives, everyday. Today, bandits, terrorists, cannibals, kidnappers and unknown gunmen are almost overrunning the State.
“It is curious that Senator Uzodinma, until now, is yet to refute a very weighty allegation by the Senator representing his own senatorial district who accused him of being a mastermind of a deadly hit squad that is backed by his administration. Most areas in Orlu Zone are currently under the firm grip of gunmen, a situation that has thousands of our citizens internally displaced.
The opposition party expressed regret that “that Senator Uzodinma suspended and summarily dismantled all the foundations and programmes our Rebuild Imo administration painstakingly put in place in all the sectors towards the rebuilding of Imo State. Our government commenced the Treasury Single Account, Autonomy for local government system, Technical and Skills Development Colleges, Automated Payment System for prompt payment of salaries and pensions, agricultural revolution, infrastructural revolution, civil service reform, revival of ISOPADEC, Technology and ICT development, qualitative free education etc.
Part of the statement read “These and other programmes of the Rebuild Imo Administration were dumped by Uzodinma even when he embarked on a borrowing spree, in most cases, nocturnally, which has placed Imo as the most indebted State in the entire South East. This is worrisome given that the regime still cannot point to any landmark project it has done in two years to justify the huge borrowings.
“Last year alone, the regime accessed over N59 billion loans from foreign and domestic sources. This year, 2022, Senator Uzodinma has perfected plans to borrow additional N61 billion. When added to well over N103 billion which has come to the local government areas from FAAC under Uzodinma, the N105 billion which has come to the State, the N24 billion which the State has internally generated and the N10 billion which represents the 13% Oil Derivation, it is heartbreaking that there is nothing in Imo to show for the monies. This is obviously not the Imo State we envisioned for our children.
The party further noted that “ Within the years under review, Senator Uzodinma has had neither a well researched policy nor direction in the various sectors of the state. This is the calamity that has befallen our State.
“Our party notes with great pain that within two years, Senator Uzodinma has made our state, Imo, the unemployment capital of Nigeria. It is noteworthy that the relevant rating board, the Presidential Business Enabling Environment Council, has consistently placed Imo at the lowest rung of the ladder in terms of ease of doing business in Nigeria. Worse still, within two years, our state ranks highest in the South East in terms of infant and maternal mortality rates.Imo has collapsed under Gov. Uzodinma.
“In the past two years, Senator Uzodinma has willfully denied workers and retirees their salaries and pensions. When workers stage protests, they are tagged fake and brutalized by agents of the government. Also, the local government system has been completely emasculated, defunded and stripped of autonomy, thus, giving way for mass misery at the grassroots” the statement stated.
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