At the 15th edition of the Professor Eni Njoku Memorial Lecture which held recently at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, something significant happened.
The Guest lecturer, Reverend (Professor)!Chinedu Nebo, a former Vice – Chancellor of the University and a former Minister of Power in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, veered off his topic to heap praises on Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, holding him up as a practical example of what good governance is all about.
If members of the opposition PDP in Imo State were around, they would have accused the Governor of shopping for praises.
Coincidentally, Uzodimma, who was to serve as the Chairman of the event, was not physically present due to exigencies of other state duties. Again, Professor Nebo is not known for sycophancy given his pedigree as a Venerable of the Anglican Church and an accomplished Professor of Metallurgical Engineering, who rose to the position of Vice – Chancellor of the University and the pioneer Vice – Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti.
On that day, he simply narrated what he observed on his last trip to Owerri, the capital of Imo State and asked the representative of Governor Hope Uzodimma to pass his message of of commendation and appreciation to him. What was his experience? He said he drove through Owerri- Okigwe highway and didn’t encounter any potholes and the journey time was significantly reduced unlike what it used to be.
Because he has been a regular user of the road, his testament carried a lot of weight. He was nobody’s praise singer. He appreciated what some people would rather not see.
Fortunately, two other eminent professors and former deans of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, who were present at the event, corroborated what Nebo observed, thus opening the floodgate of honours, praises and commendation for the Imo State Governor.
Indeed, it is instructive that Uzodimma had served as the guest lecturer at the 14th edition of the Professor Eni Njoku Memorial Lecture series. What it means is that the organizers found something of value in him and decided to tap from it.
And as if that was a cue, other Nigerians and indeed the Nigerian state needed to applaud the administration of Hope Uzodimma in the last 40 months , they certainly grabbed it with both hands.
From Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Igbos resident in the oil – rich states of Rivers and Bayelsa , crowned the Governor Onyendu Ndigbo na Rivers and Bayelsa, that is the Leader of Ndigbo in Rivers and Bayelsa.
Just the same day, the Government of Rivers State conferred on him the highest highest honour of Grand Service Star of Rivers State ( GSSRS).
Shortly after, the Federal Republic of Nigeria conferred on Uzodimma the national honour Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), while the Progressive Governors’ Forum – a group of 18 governors of APC – elected the Imo State Governor as their Chairman.
It is significant that each of these honours, recognitions or commendations has a history. In other words, none was done in a vacuum.
Take for instance, the Professor Nebo’s commendation. Apart from the Owerri- Okigwe highway, Uzodimma has built more than 100 solid roads running into several kilometers. He has done the Owerri – Orlu highway.
He rebuilt the MCC – Uratta – Toronto road and all of these were commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari. Each of the 27 Local Government Areas has a five – kilometre road being built by Uzodimma.
So, road users, including non – residents of Imo State, like Professor Nebo, are daily testifying to the road revolution of the Governor in addition to other democracy dividends which he has relentlessly continued to deliver to the people.
For Igbos resident in Rivers and Bayelsa States, they were moved to honour their beloved son, Uzodimma, as the leader of the race because no other governor had taken the welfare of Ndigbo so seriously as Uzodimma.
As a people whose economic interests are supported and sustained through the ports, they were overwhelmed with joy when Uzodimma flagged off the dredging of Oguta Lake, Orashi River to Degema and the Atlantic ocean.
