Dr Ikedi Ohakim, former Governor of Imo State, has described Governor Hope Uzodimma as “a very focused and altruistic administrator who has shown incontestable determination and capacity to develop Imo State in all spheres devoid of self-centred proclivities.”
Dr. Ohakim pointed out that the socioeconomic, political, and infrastructural achievements of Governor Uzodimma within six years of his administration speak volumes and will remain indelible in the history of the State.
Dr. Ohakim stated this in his Goodwill Message to Governor Uzodimma in commemoration of the governor’s six years in Office as Governor of Imo State. It would be recalled that the governor assumed Office on January 15,2020, before his reelection in 2023 for a second tenure.
In a statement issued in Owerri, former Governor Ohakim recalled the palous state of affairs in Imo State before Uzodimma’s intervention in 2020, noting that, but for such timely intervention, the state will have been a parody of sort by now. “Governor Uzodimma came like the Spartans of the ancient Greek mythology to salvage Imo State.He was wrestled by forces who held Imo by the jugular, but because of his spartan spirit and his determination to positively change the narratives in Imo State, he soldiered on and with God on his side, he prevailed. The massive transformations in Imo today are the by-products of Governor Uzodimma’s administrative ingenuity and initiatives.”
Describing Imo as a difficult State to govern because of the activities of some people who have allowed selfishness to overwhelm their mindsets and priorities, Dr. Ohakim explained that, nevertheless, Imo has bright minds, whose focus is building lasting populist legacies,which succeeding generation of leaders can build on. He pointed out that Governor Uzodimma has by all standards, demystified the erroneous impression that second terms for governors are for jamborees and a waste of time.
Ohakim said: “I am very proud of Governor Uzodimma’s accomplishments for Imo people within the six years has been governor. Apart from turning Imo a construction site, and the centre of attraction in Nigeria, the governor has demystified this persistent and misleading impression that second tenures for governors are a waste of time and a jamboree of sort. Check the records, in his second tenure, Governor Uzodimma is still working as if he is angling for another term. That is patriotism; a proof that he keeps to his promises of leaving Imo far better than he met it. It is, more importantly, a vindication of the believe and trust some of us reposed in his leadership capabilities when he was inaugurated as Governor of Imo State. I will continue to pray for him”
