“This is a year to watch because it is a year that Imo people will look back to and further appreciate this administration for keeping faith”
Governor Hope Uzodimma has categorically declared that Imo State would not in any way witness any bloodshed in this new year 2023.
In his new year broadcast to the people of Imo State Sunday, the Governor called on the people of the state to collectively resolve to work together to ensure peace, unity, and progress which according to him should be the goal of everyone.
He assured that the security situation in the state will continue to improve this year with better equipment and training of security agencies to confront the security challenges.
He said: “the few unrepentant ungodly people and their sponsors, who want to continue to unleash violence and insecurity in the state, will be doing so at their peril.
Uzodimma while assuring for safer Imo State this year, maintained the state will do better this year in all ramifications than it did last year.
In the 2023 election year, the Governor appealed to the people of Imo State to conduct themselves peacefully before, during, and after the elections.
He said: “I do not want our state to be in the election news for all the bad reasons. Let us go out peacefully and elect the candidates of our choice”
He urged them to always see peace as their goal insisting that the interest and welfare of Imo State shall supersede the narrow selfish interests.
The Governor said that having signed the 2023 budget of N474.4 billion into law is an indication that the state is set to go this fiscal year.
He said that the budget tagged “the Budget of Wealth Expansion”, seeks to improve the state’s economy, with priority on security, agriculture, education, and transportation, among others.
According to him with a capital outlay of N373 billion – that is about 72 percent of the entire budget, the Governor assured that nothing will stop Imo from attaining their developmental goals for the year.
He said: “This is a year to watch because it is a year that Imo people will look back to and further appreciate this administration for keeping faith with our social contract with the people. Today, even our worst critics will acknowledge the huge difference between the Imo State of today and the Imo State we inherited in 2020”.
He pointed out the great transformation that has taken place in the state is a result of hard work, sacrifice, honesty, prudence, and tenacious dedication to duty by my team.
Uzodimma said that the government could not have done much without your support and prayers which crowned their modest efforts with God’s blessings.
The Governor reminded the people that in the preceding year, the government was able to wrestle the remaining pockets of security challenges and banditry to a standstill adding that the few remaining kingpins of bandits were rounded up and are now dancing to the music of the law.
He said: “To the glory of God, security agencies were able to act with greater precision in confronting banditry as witnessed in the foiled attempt to burn the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Owerri. So, on the whole, I can assure you that we are on top of the situation and Imo is relatively safer each year. Clear evidence of this is that no incident of insecurity was reported in the state during the festive season.”
While assuring hope in this new year, the Governor expressed the hope of completion of the Owerri – Umuahia road and the Orlu – Mgbee – Akokwa and the Oguta to Okposo Orlu road, this year.
He said that these strategic roads to the two already commissioned signature roads will serve to catalyse trade and commerce and would ultimately boost the economy of the state.
