The Coordinator of Orsu Central Development Center, Hon Nze Nnaemeka Rupert Egole has described Imo State Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma CON as a grassroots oriented leader who has demonstrated rare political will and courage to go extra mile to take development down to the grassroots unlike those before him who made empty promises without fulfilling them and commended him for restoring the hitherto abandoned Local Government Area Development Centers and as well created new ones.
According to the Prince of Eze C.C Egole Royal Dynasty and top grassroots political leader of Umuhu Okabia ward of Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State, Senator Uzodimma was able to restore confidence in the minds of the teeming Imo populace by taking positive decisions and executing same to impact positively on the greater majority especially those in the rural areas who are beneficiaries of his grassroots driven development projects and programs.
Nze Egole made the assertion penultimate Monday while fielding questions to newsmen in Owerri on the state of the state since the inauguration of the Imo State Governor for his second term of Office and position of the Development Centers across the state since the dissolution of Imo State expanded Executive Council.
He said that the Governor’s achievements during his first tenure were visible, impactful and dotted on the landscape across the state especially the intimidating developmental strides in massive road infrastructure that could be seen through the current state of Orlu -Owerri highway which is dualized and adorned with street lights, reconstructed Owerri –Okigwe highway with street lights,on going Owerri- Mbaise- Obowo-Umuahia highway and other strategic inter local Government roads and observed that the most remarkable thing about his ambitious road construction projects was the involvement of renowned world class construction giants like Craneburg in handling the projects.
He observed that the Governor was able to fix most of the roads in Owerri Capital City that hitherto defied solution such as Chukwuma Nwaoha,MCC , Port-Harcourt road, World Bank, Specialist Hospital road, Orlu road and several others, including several kilometers of rural roads fixed across local Government Areas of the state.
The Development Center Coordinator also said that the Governor did not only unleash his development prowess on road reconstruction but equally recorded remarkable achievements in the health sector through rehabilitation and equipping of Health Centers and implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme; education through recovery of KO Mbadiwe University Ideato, establishment of brand new Imo State University of Agriculture Umuagwo, renovation and construction of new class room blocks across the state and host of other strategic sectors of the economy including power generation which he disclosed that arrangements have been concluded to utilize the rich gas deposits in the State al being harnessed by Shell and Seplat to provide independent electric power supply in the State.
Nze Nnaemeka Egole regretted that deliberate efforts were made by sore Losers and vindictive opposition in the State to orchestrate unwarranted hate campaign against the Governor and even escalated it the vicious level of imposing insecurity to distract the Governor.He however appreciated the courage displayed by the Governor by weathering the storm despite having his own Country home burnt down which he vowed would not discourage or intimidate him to succumb to the whims and caprices of lawless people.
Nze Egole disclosed that the Governor has successfully dislodged the bandits by destroying their strongholds across the state, especially the destruction of the mother Valley in Orsu which has provided a new vista for free movement of people in Orsu, Orlu and Oru East Federal Constituency which at some point in the past was not accessible due to the activities of the bandits.
He posited that the first tenure of the Governor was a huge success despite enormity of challenges that could have been cited as reasons for none performance if it were a leader that was not cut out for development.
On his contributions as the Development Area Coordinator for Orsu Central,Nze Nnaemeka Egole disclosed that he swung into action from the outset to deliver.He recalled how on assumption of office, he met a burnt and dilapidated Secretariat on eleven hectares of land with a 5000 gallons iron overhead tank of water.He narrated how he deployed local contact to contract a construction company to clear the land and removed debris of the burnt building and went further to buy trips of sand, bags of cement and water and hired block moulders to start moulding blocks until the whole thing suffered a set back following the calls and threats from the bandits that we must not near the Area again.
He however revealed that considering the enormity of security challenges that affected the reconstruction work,he decided to initiate other meaning programs, adding that their energy and resources were channeled to social welfare cum empowerment scheme known as 3R Empowerment through which people from the nine Autonomous Communities in Orsu Central had empowerment forms shared to them and thereafter got empowered by the Development Center.He also said that they executed 3R Health Scheme through which a good number of people people from the Area benefited from Cataract surgery at St Joseph’s Hospital Mgbirichi.In addition to that, the Development Center also carried out 3R WAEC Assistance,in which more than 80 persons got registered for Junior WAEC and Senior WAEC Examination under the sponsorship of the Development Center.
Hon Egole reiterated that the impacts of his grassroots programs in the Development Center was felt during the 2023 elections, especially the November 11 gubernatorial election when his people trouped out enmass to vote massively for Governor Uzodimma’s reelection as a way of reciprocating the good governance that has positively touched their lives.
On recent dissolution of the State expanded Executive Council and the rumoured subsequent dissolution of the Development Center Coordinators and Members,Hon Egole said that the Governor was specific on the day he announced the dissolution,that the Development Center Coordinators and Members were not included, adding that what happened was that the State Assembly only passed a motion urging the Governor to also dissolve and reconstitute the Development Centers and the Boards,Commissions and Parastatals which according him the Governor has not consented.
He said that he was still operating in his capacity as the Coordinator of Orsu Central Development Center since the Governor has not pronounced them dissolved.
When asked whether they are still receiving their monthly Salary, the Coordinator kept everyone guessing as his reply was that everything associated to their salary is private and that he could not respond to such a question because it is private.
He called on Governor Uzodimma to continue with his good work already started and assured that the support and loyalty of his people will remain unflinching and undiluted.
