Tinubu Lauds Uzodinma, Says Imo Is Safe

President Bola Tinubu has lauded the governor of Imo at et e for being a hardworking and industrious man.

He made the commendation Monday, during Governor Hope Uzodinma’s second term inauguration in office, held at the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri.

Tinubu said: “The man Hope Uzodimma is a man very hardworking and industrious. I say congratulations. It is a great honour to be here in Imo State to congratulate the entire people of Imo State for being determined to vote for a second term in office. It is unique and resonates with the progressive’s agenda.

“There is no other way it would have happened. I assure you that you have gotten a good and dependable Democrat. A man who will talk and do. As his name symbolizes, we are here to assure you that your hopes are renewed. This has gone into the record book winning all the local government areas. So he has to do more work and find good support at the national level to ensure economic recovery of the state.”

Speaking on the security in the state, the president noted that Uzodinma has paid attention to the internal security arrangement of the state, which has made Imo safe.

According to the President, “Do not worry, with me here is Hope. A real Hope. I assure you there will be some fair share of education for your children. Healthcare will receive more allocation and attention. The things you are enjoying here relatively will be better and we will work hard.

“Before now, every one of us is enveloped with fear to come to Imo state. But today Imo is safe and happy and ready for business. What we have to do is for us to work together join hands and pay attention to our internal security. And today incidentally, is the armed forces remembrance day.”

On his part, while giving his acceptance speech, the Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma, said; “My second tenure will be centered on the massive economic development of the state, which will permeate every community or ward. We shall kick start this through our Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI).

“Consequently, within the first 12 months of the current tenure, every community in the state will feel the impact with at least one significant project fully executed for them. Consequently, in the coming weeks, working with the local government council leadership, each community will be expected to identify one project that they want the government to do for them. 

“The chosen project must have a direct and immediate impact on the overall economy of the communities. It could be in the form of the provision of electricity, potable water, a road, a health center, or a market development project. Further details and modalities for this community economic development initiative will be made available within the next few weeks.”

Speaking on his plans for his second tenure, the governor said: “As I mentioned earlier, the policy thrust of my second tenure would continue to be massive investments in infrastructure, full recovery of the economy to a sustainable level, human capital development with emphasis on youth empowerment and educational advancement of our children, coupled with the further invigoration of the civil service for more efficient service delivery. Anything recurrent is considered the normal or statutory business of government. Therefore, it must be taken care of in the course of governance. In my normal tradition, the prompt payment of salaries and pensions will remain a priority.

“My priority areas going forward will be on 15 critical sectors needed for the sustainable development of Imo State. This will be in tandem with my 3R mantra and the 10-year Development Plan as earlier mentioned. The areas are road infrastructure, Education, Health, Sanitation, Water Supply, Agriculture and Food Security, Housing and New Cities Development, Digital Infrastructure, Transportation Infrastructure, Market Access, Industrial Policy, Safety / Security, Enabling Laws and Policies, Public Financial Management and Electricity Infrastructure.”

“In line with the standard institutional framework, each of these sectors is to be implemented in such a manner that the results would readily impact the economy and standard of living of the citizenry. My dear brothers and sisters, as you know, Imo State belongs to all of us, and building the state of our dreams will require the contributions of every one of us, irrespective of our political affiliations. The time has come to bury all those differences so we can work collectively to develop our state. Remember, this is the only state we can truly call our own. Therefore, we should all think of how we can contribute to her growth instead of leaving it to the government alone.

“Let us forgive and forget. Let us reconcile and move our state forward.”