The 11th November gubernatorial elections in Imo State will perhaps be the most important opportunity Imolites have to prove that they’re not spinless cowards whose electoral mandates can be stolen without consequences. Indeed, a victory for the incumbent Governor of the State, Hope Uzodinma will not only be an unforgivable sin, it is one that can inflict monumental damages to the aspirations of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
Prior to his assumption of duty as the Numero Uno in Douglas House, Uzodinma was roundly rejected by Imolites in the 2019 polls yet riding on certain dangerous wings in Abuja, he imposed himself on Imo people. It is on record that Uzodinma never campaigned, never debated, never consulted anyone, and did not even actively participate in the Governorship election exercise. Deservedly, he was rewarded with a distant 4th position in the exercise, and almost miraculously, he is Governor today. The worst move Imolites will ever make is to legitimise such a crooked personality with their votes in November.
One issue many Nigerians have actually not paid attention to is the fact that the ‘process’ matters a bunch and the process through which someone gets to political office is far more important and consequential than what he or she does in that office. Uzodinma was unduly imposed on Imo State by the supreme court and to prove that he does not rate Imo people, he openly gloated about it repeatedly. If Uzodinma does have any iota of remorse in him, he should start by resigning as Governor before seeking any new mandate.
In less than four years, the Supreme Court Governor has managed to turn the once lovely, prosperous, and peaceful state into a theater of afflictions, wanton killings, poverty, and oppressive hostages. Since he forced himself into the Imo State government house, shady Government contracts, neglect of infrastructure, owing of salaries, and the spate of wrongdoings in the State have ballooned and are fast becoming a norm. How then can a man who supervised this ugly menace find the courage to present himself for re-election to citizens of a state who never elected him in the first place?
All over the world, elected political officeholders have always been expected to carry the burdens of the people they govern by working assiduously to improve their living standards. That has never been the case with Uzodinma because rather than improve the living standards of Imolites, Uzodinma has successfully reduced them to paupers who can be easily bought and induced with peanuts. Given the fact that Uzodinma does not have a working conscience, the negative indices that have become almost synonymous with the state such as unemployment numbers, poverty statistics, and infant mortality all paint a very vivid picture of what Imo State has become under Uzodinma’s maladministration.
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Imolites will be hit by the force of reality when they find out that Uzodinma’s failures are so deeply rooted. They are not only brought about by his gross incompetence and ineptitude but are driven by his ignorance and illiteracy, meaning that nothing can make him do better than he has done.
When you hand power over to an illiterate, what you find is unguarded and unregulated acts of power drunkenness, and this is certainly the case with Uzodinma over the years. He not only stole the mandate but has used it in the most rascal manner.
There has been nothing to show the people of Imo state as a development that Uzodinma brought in since he was in office. KPI is abysmally low, bad governance remains enthroned as the order of the day, and all that Uzodinma has dedicated himself to is deceit and diversion of attention from important issues.
Uzodinma has chosen to pay attention to frivolities and playing petty politics while ignoring the governance he should be paying attention to. The average Imolite has nothing to benefit from him. The Local governments remain pawns and puppets in his hands as he has refused to grant them any form of autonomy, financial, or otherwise. He cannot account for the billions of Naira that these local governments receive every month, even as no LGA in the state receives below N200 million monthly. If that isn’t enough corruption to lock him away for years, the a sane mind, doesn’t know what it is.
Even as he seeks reelection, Uzodinma has no plan to improve the living standards of Imolites. If anything, he would only make things worse until they are swarming in absolute poverty. Just take a look at the statistics of unemployment, poverty, and even infant morbidity in the state, and you can tell that the heartlessness with which Uzodinma has used to rule Imo will only continue.
If he is given a second opportunity, he will only further dip his hands into the treasury and loot what is left of it. The senseless bloodshed that has continued in Imo State will get to a higher level while he frolics with other politicians. Let me ask you, what does Uzodinma have to present as a sign of good governance in the past years? If he had any iota of shame or conscience, he would apologise to the Imo people, step aside, and allow someone else to save the state from the ultimate destruction that his second tenure would bring.
Uzodinma must be shown that governance is not for every Tom, Dick, and Harry, but it is a serious affair for people who have the intellect and character to make it work. Imo people must stop at nothing to disgrace Uzodinma at the polls because only then will they be free from the shackles that bind them strongly.
The time is now for Uzodinma to realize that he lacks all forms of intelligence to handle such an important position. The number one position in Imo state is not a place for illiterate rogues and charlatans, but for right-thinking people who have discipline, intelligence, and principles. Imolites must ensure that Uzodinma is bundled out of Douglas House at the next polls.
