THE emergence of Senator Hope Uzodimma as Governor of Imo State on 15 January 2020 exposed the soft underbelly of the Imo political elite which had its hooks in the common purse. His spectacular performance ever since has refounded Imo State as a future-ready economic hub of the South East region of Nigeria.
Five years later, the State is on the verge of another turnaround that will change its trajectory for good under Uzodimma’s visionary watch.
At the heart of this transformation is a digital revolution that has modernised government business. The previously corruption-riddled public payroll system has been completely digitalised, marking a decisive break from the past. This technological leap has spawned a wider digital skills acquisition programme, Skill-Up-Imo, which has transformed thousands of Imo youths into employers of labour rather than job seekers.
The educational space has undergone a remarkable expansion, growing from a single university in 2020 to three vibrant institutions today. This educational renaissance has been matched by unprecedented developments in healthcare infrastructure. Where once stood a single struggling tertiary health facility, the State now boasts two fully functional teaching hospitals, modern general hospitals, and hundreds of well-equipped primary healthcare centres spread across communities, placing healthcare at the doorstep of rural dwellers.
All of this is underpinned by the award-winning Imo State Health Insurance Scheme, which provides thousands of the most vulnerable with access to quality healthcare.
When Uzodimma assumed office in 2020, Imo infrastructure, particularly its road network, was in severe deterioration. The transformation since then has been methodical and measurable: in the first phase alone, his administration completed over 62 roads spanning 189 kilometres. The scope of this transformation becomes even more impressive, with 53 additional strategic roads currently under simultaneous construction, covering 375.8 kilometres across the State.
The urban landscape has been particularly transformed. From Chukwuma Nwoha to MCC to Toronto, from Assumpta Avenue to World Bank, and notably from Dick Tiger stretching to the Second Inland Road, the internal road network has been comprehensively rebuilt. A magnificent flyover at Assumpta Roundabout makes a clear statement of the administration’s commitment to modern infrastructure.
Signature arterial roads like Owerri-Okigwe, Owerri-Orlu, and Owerri-Umuahia have transformed the connectivity of the South East region. The visibility and verifiability of these projects across the state have become a hallmark of Uzodimma’s infrastructure drive.
This systematic approach to infrastructure development extends beyond road construction. The Sam Mbakwe International Airport, previously hampered by the absence of night landing facilities, now operates round-the-clock flights, a powerful boost to our economic potential. The introduction of balloon technology has effectively addressed the persistent flooding issues that once plagued Owerri city, while the restoration of regular public water supply has improved urban living conditions.
Perhaps the most touching aspect of this transformation is the human impact. Civil servants now receive not just regular salaries but also a 13th-month bonus. Pensioners, who had gone without gratuities for two decades, now receive both their monthly pensions and gratuities promptly. In addition, alongside civil servants, pensioners are proud beneficiaries of the robust Imo Health Insurance Scheme. This welfare revolution has restored dignity to public service in Imo State.
The systematic transformation over the past five years has undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for sustainable development. Indeed, the best days of Imo State lie ahead under Uzodimma’s stewardship.
But to truly appreciate Uzodimma’s efforts, we must recall his turbulent beginning. Fortunately, the bittersweet tale of Uzodimma’s first coming as Governor has been retold to the extent that even a teething pupil can recount it with reasonable precision, which means there is little use repeating it full scale.
In a nutshell, Uzodimma’s election was stolen in March 2019. INEC, unfortunately, announced Emeka Ihedioha as Governor after it jettisoned votes from a whopping 388 polling units where Uzodimma had a commanding lead. It was a sordid affair. But the startling irony was that for seven and a half months, Ihedioha, a former lawmaker, fattened himself on a stolen mandate and spent a sizeable fortune on all manner of legal and diabolical antics trying to preserve it.
Remarkably, despite being robbed, and after setbacks at the lower and appellate courts, Uzodimma remained composed. He did not incite his base, nor did he confront the impostor. He simply pleaded his case before the apex court of the land and hoped that justice would prevail. As fate would have it, on January 14, 2020, after reviewing the over-whelming evidence, a thoroughly convinced panel of the Supreme Court unanimously declared him the authentic winner of the Imo 2019 governorship election and thus restored his mandate. Jubilation ripped through the State, for, at last, relief had come. It came with a promise of Shared Prosperity based on a policy tripod of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Recovery, aptly dubbed ‘3R’.
Unfortunately, rather than pay a heavy price, those election thieves walked away free men. To nobody’s surprise, they became strongly linked to security threats and mayhem programmed to frustrate good governance in Imo under Uzodimma.
While we do not challenge the wisdom of the Supreme Court, we sometimes wonder whether it serves the ends of justice to simply recover what was stolen and let the thief go or to recover what was stolen and punish the thief as deterrence. We think that had those election thieves been punished, Imo would have been calmer, and Uzodimma would have spent far less brain power and resources battling a security scourge invented by desperate politicians.
Sadly, coinciding with the uncertainties of a COVID-triggered economic meltdown, this security scourge dogged the new administration, but Uzodimma fought gallantly. As lockdowns forced the population into hysteria, hunger and decayed infrastructure made life unbearable. The taps had long dried up, the farms too dangerous. Demeaned for years, the civil and public service almost melted away; permanent secretaries and judicial officers went on foot while ex-public officeholders confiscated government vehicles.
Calamity lurked as men with guns killed wantonly, police stations and servicemen became prey, healthcare centres lay in ruins, and roads turned to lakes. Imo State had lost its fabric, its splendour, its charm, and its hospitality.
The jailbreak of April 5, 2021, was the inflection point. Armed men stormed the Owerri Custodial Centre and unleashed over a thousand dare-devil criminals from custody. As if it couldn’t get any worse, the so-called opposition (the disgraced election thieves) transformed into the political arm of chaos: while the gunmen terror-plagued the streets, they soaked the media space in disinformation. They made excuses for the gunmen, justified the mayhem, cloned respected newspapers upon which they superimposed fake news about the Governor, and then used these fake stories as clothespins to hold up the narrative that Imo was in revolt against Uzodimma. Unlike Uzodimma’s composure, the disgraced election thieves had no scruples. Their singular aim was to burn Imo to the ground.
Living in Imo became an extreme sport. It was as if someone had kicked open the door of hell. And right in the eye of the storm stood Governor Hope Uzodimma.
How do you govern a terrorised, terrified, and demoralised population? You juggle many balls, of course, but first, you restore peace and a sense of normalcy.
Thankfully, through methodical strategy and firm resolve, the Uzodimma administration has orchestrated a remarkable security turnaround that has transformed Imo from a hotbed of unrest to arguably the most peace State in the South Eastern region. This transformation is evidenced by a succession of high-profile events that would have been unthinkable during the height of the crisis.
Last August, when Evangelist Ebuka Obi led over 30,000 worshippers to a week-long crusade in Ngor Okpala without incident, it sent a powerful message about the restored stability in Imo. The Nigerian Guild of Editors, during their October workshop in Imo, expressed pleasant surprise at the serenity in Imo, directly contradicting the persistent narrative of insecurity. This was further reinforced in November when a thousand journalists gathered for their triennial delegates conference, prompting then-outgoing NUJ President Chris Isiguzo to publicly rebuke the false narratives about the safety of Imo.
Perhaps the most telling indicator of restored peace is not in these grand events but in the everyday renaissance of community life. The State now boasts the highest birth rate of new businesses in the Federation, according to the State of Entrepreneurship in Nigeria Report; a feat impossible in a climate of insecurity. Communities once gripped by terror have reclaimed their normal rhythm, and Owerri’s signature vibrant nightlife has sprung back to life.
Through co-ordinated efforts between security agencies and the government under Uzodimma’s strategic leadership, kidnapping, banditry, and violent secessionist activities have been nearly eliminated. This Christmas, our diaspora returned in droves to reunite with their kin. Everyone is happy to see that Imo has transformed from a state under siege to a beacon of stability, all thanks to focused leadership.
This security renaissance didn’t just restore peace, it equally rebuilt confidence, attracting investment and enabling the broader economic and social reforms that are reshaping the future of Imo State. Imo is a living reminder that security is not about policing only. Rather, it is the foundation upon which all other progress is built.
Details of all other progress achieved by Uzodimma currently fill four thick volumes. We are not tempted to reproduce them in this piece, but we should highlight a few.
The industrial renaissance under Uzodimma has been particularly striking. Adapalm Nigeria Limited now operates at full capacity, creating thousands of jobs and generating substantial revenue. The Orashi Electricity Company project promises to power the newly approved Special Energy Free Trade Zone and the rest of Imo, marking a decisive break from decades of power challenges.
The administration has partnered with the globally renowned Jampur Group to revive iconic industries. Standard Shoe Company Limited, which the administration recovered from AMCON after clearing its debts in 2022, is set for a major comeback. Similarly, Nsu Tile Industries Limited will not only resume tile and ceramics production but will also host a new textile factory. The partnership extends to livestock production in Acharaugbo, which will be expanded to include poultry, piggery, and other livestock processing, alongside a 400-metric-ton daily capacity fertilizer plant.
The hospitality sector has also received a Midas touch through the partnership with the Hilton Group to transform the Imo Concorde Hotel into the Concorde Hilton, positioning Imo as the premier hospitality destination in the South East. The State’s industrial future looks even more promising with ongoing projects, including refinery construction and the ambitious Oguta Lake-Atlantic Ocean dredging project. The establishment of a Naval Base and approval for the Special Integrated Energy Free Trade Zone further cement our emerging status as the industrial hub of the Southeast.
The administration’s One Kindred, One Business Initiative (OKOBI) has enabled rural communities to establish sustainable enterprises, while the One Community, One Project scheme has empowered communities to execute priority development projects. These achievements have not gone unnoticed. The World Bank recently awarded Imo State Four Million US Dollars for excellence in ease of doing business, efficiency, and transparency; a recognition shared by only three other states in the federation. This external validation spotlights Uzodimma as a transformer, one committed to transparent, efficient governance, and strategic development.
With urban and rural infrastructure upgraded, Uzodimma, with the backing of the House of Assembly, has earmarked N807 billion Naira for Expanded Economic Opportunities in 2025 mainly to pursue big-ticket, high-impact ventures like the 24/7 statewide uninterrupted electricity supply. Experts have dubbed this project as one of the cornerstones of the economic revolution. It would resolve the energy crisis plaguing SMEs, which eats up as much as 70 per cent of revenue. Free from draining energy costs, businesses will take on more workers, improving the labour force. This is the Uzodimma paradigm.
It has won him the unflinching confidence of the Imo people. For his 2019 electoral woes, he won his reelection nearly unopposed in 2023 trouncing his closest rivals in all the 27 Local Government Areas of the State in an unprecedented landslide.
Understandably, each time we recount the life-transforming impact of the Hope Uzodimma administration, some people wonder whether Imo State had not enjoyed good governance before now. While it is immodest to make this claim, it is not far from the truth.
All the same, we are under no illusions that it is El Dorado yet, but if he has achieved so much in just five years, we are at least hopeful that in the remaining three years, we will have come close enough. We should all support Governor Hope Uzodimma. He knows the way.
Hon. Sir Collins Ughalaa is the Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Public Orientation
