The Imo State House of Assembly has passed a motion seeking to rename the popular Douglas Road in Owerri after Governor Hope Uzodimma.
The decision came on Tuesday as lawmakers resumed sitting after a three-month recess.
The motion directs the state government to instruct the executive chairman of Owerri Municipal Local Government Council to effect the change.
Once implemented, the new name — Governor Hope Uzodimma Road — is to be reflected across all state records, signage, and official documents. The resolution also mandates relevant agencies to ensure compliance.
The motion was sponsored by Chisom Ojukwu, representing Nkwerre constituency.
He argued that the road’s current name, which honours Harold M. Douglas, the first district commissioner of Owerri Province (1902), is a painful reminder of colonial oppression.
Ojukwu described Douglas as a figure notorious for ruling with violence, forced labour, and collective punishment.
He cited the Eziama massacre of 1904, the Norie war of 1905, and the Ahiara massacre of the same year as atrocities linked to Douglas’s rule.
The lawmaker noted that it was regrettable that both Douglas Road and Douglas House — landmarks of historical importance in Owerri — still immortalised a colonial figure who, according to him, inflicted destruction on Ndi Igbo.
“Landmarks of such significance should not celebrate colonial masters but should bear the names of true heroes in our state,” Ojukwu said.
He added that Uzodimma had “performed very well in every sector” and deserved to be honoured while alive.
The deputy speaker, Amara Iwuanyanwu, also supported the motion. He maintained that Uzodimma’s contributions to governance warranted recognition, adding that immortalising the governor’s name with a landmark such as Douglas Road was a way to demonstrate the people’s appreciation.
“Governor Uzodimma has performed well in every sector. He ought to be celebrated while alive, and naming a major road after him is one way of showing the love Imo people have for him,” Iwuanyanwu said.
With the resolution passed, the state government is expected to issue a formal directive to Owerri Municipal Council to begin the renaming process, setting in motion one of the most symbolic changes to the city’s historic landscape in recent years.
