As Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma is sworn in  for  second term on Monday January 15, 2024, Imo citizens have set an agenda him to grow the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, create more jobs, and embark on massive infrastructural renewal and poverty alleviation


Proffering his expectations from Gov Uzodimma, the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu urged the governor to focus on completing the capital projects he started in his first term and had not yet completed. "He should look at water supply with emphasis on eliminating water-borne diseases. He should also focus on rural development.


Iwuanyanwu further urged the governor to try the carrot and stick approach in resolving the insecurity challenge. He explained that the threats of insecurity must not always be confronted with force to force. According to him, government should play it's role in nipping the challenge of insecurity in the bud by creating employment opportunities for youths and providing skills acquisition for those deemed unemployable. He also suggested the use of dialogue to get everyone on a roundtable and negotiate for peace and laying down of arms


A politician and broadcaster, Mr Chinonso Uba, also known as Nonso Nkwa described the last four years as a period of 'anything goes' where political appointees failed to do their bit or even shortchanged the State because the governor was too distracted by the menace of insecurity and the various litigations against him to offer effective leadership.


Uba who contested to represent Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency under the ADC submits that all Uzodimma had to do in the next four years was to get right all the things he did wrong in his first term.


In his view,   the governor should get it right with the people, win their confidence and approval by getting to the root of allegations of human rights abuses, and eliminating same. Specifically, he urged the governor to probe the Commander of Tiger Base, a police detention post which in recent time is becoming synonymous with police brutality and human rights abuses 


Uba also  urged the governor to drop the style of using the military and police to bombard and intimidate Imolites. "Gov Uzodimma should desist from the use of force and adopt dialogue to contain the scourge of insecurity. He should use dialogue to bring our Imo sons and daughters who are in the bush, he should dialogue with them and get them to embrace peace going forward.


He further counselled Gov Uzodimma to take a holistic view of his appointees and prosecute those who had sabotaged the Imo economy or abused their offices. Making references to the former Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Noble Atulegwu who was relieved of his job and is being investigated by the Police, Uba maintained that beyond investigation of  erring political appointees, those indicted should be prosecuted as well.


Uba also wants the governor to undertake a total overhaul or probe  of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs to determine amongst others, abuses of office; Causes of leakages in  revenue accruals to the State; Cases of economics sabotage; Widespread fraud and malpractices;  plus incidents of underperformance. 


"Unless Gov Uzodimma, in this 2nd term embarks on a rigourous post-mortem of the MDAs, he may never deduce why the Imo economy is declining and poverty spreading like an epidemic  in an oil-producing State that receives 13% derivation fund in addition to  it's FAAC allocation", he submitted


A human rights activist and journalist, Emmanuel Onwubiko argues that since there can be no tomorrow without a yesterday, Gov Uzodimma needs to reconcile the occurrences of yesterday so that he can build a better tomorrow. To that extent, Onwubiko proposes that Gov Uzodimma should get the Imo State House of Assembly to pass a bill establishing a 'Truths and Reconciliation Commission' to record the atrocities committed by the Police and military during the insecurity menace years.


The human rights activist argued that there is need to record and publish a list of all Igbo youths whose lives were wasted on the mere insinuation that they were IPOB members. According to him, mere allegations does not make one a terrorist, there are laid down procedures to labelling any person a criminal or terrorist, but hundreds of Igbo youths were extra-judicially assassinated without any proof that there were indeed terrorists. They should be identified and their families duly compensated.


In a similar vein, Onwubiko, the National Coordinator of Human Rights Writers Association, HURIWA wants police and military personnel who were killed in the course of duty to be equally identified and their families also equally compensated


Thereafter, he urged the governor to engage in constructive dialogue to get those on warpath to drop their weapons and embrace peace 


"Imo State used to be Nigeria's number one  for hospitable, accommodating and relaxation environment. Therefore, Gov Uzodimma must do all he can to created an enabling environment for investors to return to Imo. The State can boast of a large pool of highly skilled youths wasting away due to lack of gainful employment. The State has what it takes to become an MSME hub", Onwubiko said.


To further create an enabling environment, the HURIWA boss urged Gov Uzodimma to make peace with the political class including those who contested the November 11 governorship election with him and lost, and who may be aggrieved. 


On the flipside, he urged the opposition political elites to allow Uzodimma settle down to work without the distraction of litigations or other forms of political harassment, and urged those who lost in the election to withdraw their cases from the courts if they have any.


Henry Ekpe, a journalist and publisher of a community newspaper suggests that "This time, the Governor should prioritise road infrastructure based on its importance to the State, and not for political reasons "


Ekpe submits that in Uzodimma's second coming, Imolites  look forward to seeing the major rural roads in the State get attention. He specifically listed roads like  the Timber Market road,  Naze, and the short distance road leading into Alaba Market by Aba road,  describing  them as strategic roads that  into the main economic hubs of the State as both  markets employ thousands of Imo citizens.


Ekpe added that other rural roads like Ulakwo/Upe/Imerrienwe/Umuekwune roads leads to the food basket of Imo State. Others like  Nguru, Umuneke/ Ngor/Nkwala/Eziama road, all in Ngor Okpala LGA if reconstructed would boost the economy of  the State tremendously.


 He further listed Nekede Poly/FUTO Road, linking Port  Harcourt road at Army Barrack, Obinze and rural roads  especially in Ikeduru, Ohaji, Egbema, Onuimo  LGAs  all being roads with significant economic  importance to the State 


Ekpe also urged the governor to look towards Agriculture as an avenue to create mass employment for Imo's idle army of  able bodied youths


On the kind of team Gov Uzodimma needs to get it right, Ekpe urged him to constitute a cabinet that is compact, qualified and productive