INAUGURAL SPEECH OF HIS EXCELLENCY, RT. HON. EMEKA IHEDIOHA, CON, KSC, GOVERNOR, IMO STATE, OWERRI ON 29TH MAY, 2019.
Protocols:
Ndi-Imo ndi Nwem, it is with great humility and gratitude to God
Almighty that I stand here before you today, grateful for the trust and
confidence you have bestowed on me and the Deputy Governor, Hon. (Engr.)
Gerald Irona, by entrusting the leadership of our dear State to us at
this auspicious time in our history.
2.It has been a long
journey. A journey that has been guided by divine favour and the
endeavours of so many. We would not be here today but for the enormous
sacrifices and prayers of our people. We are here, because Imo State
citizens, from all walks of life; market men and women, professionals,
students, farmers, artisans, organized labour, civil servants, Women,
youths, senior citizens, traditional rulers, the clergy and indeed all
segments of the society rallied round our cause and message for a new
positive beginning for Imo. Yes, we are here today, because the Almighty
God is deeply involved in this undertaking to bring change, peace and
prosperity to Imo. And to Him belong all the glory.
3.May I pay
tribute to all those who suffered untold hardship, intimidation,
violence and loss of life during the campaign period and the elections,
your sacrifices will not be in vain. To all those who were involved in
the conduct of the elections, I also thank you all, for giving Imo a
credible, free and fair election.
To my children, my siblings and
family members, in-laws, kith and kin, my friends, colleagues,
associates, and all Imo people and stakeholders in the Imo project, I
appreciate you for the uncommon dedication, and commitment to ensure
that we arrived at this great opportunity for renewal and renaissance.
However, a day like this also belongs to two special people in my life:
My wife, Ebere who has been a wonderful pillar of support as well as my
mother, Dame Dorothy Nsomma Ihedioha. It was from my mother, I learnt
very early in life that nothing is more ennobling than keeping faith
with those who gave you their trust. That has guided my career in public
office in the past twenty years and will remain my guiding philosophy
in discharging my responsibilities as the Governor of Imo State.
I
thank all members and leaders of our Peoples Democratic Party, both at
the National, State, Local Government and Ward levels. Without
nominating me to fly your flag, and supporting me as we traversed the
nooks and crannies of Imo, this day would not have been possible. To my
campaign team and the army of volunteers who worked so hard for our
victory, please accept my sincere appreciation. I urge our party members
and campaign team to be humble and magnanimous in victory as the task
of re-building Imo is a huge and challenging one that requires the
involvement of all Imo men and women of goodwill regardless of political
leanings. To my 65 brothers and 4 sisters who contested the election
with me. I extend my hand of fellowship and seek your cooperation in the
monumental task of restoring our State to its former glory. I wish to
appreciate also our Transition, Inauguration Planning and Handover
Committee members for a job well done. We do not take all your
sacrifices and support for granted.
4.Distinguished ladies and
gentlemen, though some may argue that today is not for a long speech, a
brief assessment of where we are coming from is necessary in order to
draw a realistic compass for tomorrow. It has been a tale of woes for
the people of Imo State, these past eight years. The APC administration
degraded and destroyed most of our institutions and values. Indeed, all
aspects of governance were debased and desecrated. The Legislature, the
Judiciary and the Civil Service, all suffered grievous assault. Imo
State House of Assembly was made redundant, court orders were routinely
disregarded and often times government appeared to act in breach of our
Constitution and laws. Pensioners are owed for over 77 months, accruing
fifty-seven (57) billion naira in Pension liability alone.
5.Eight years of maladministration, policy inconsistencies and
disregard for rule of law destroyed, literally, the foundations laid by
our founding fathers, dis-articulated a thriving economy, lowered the
educational standards, chased away investors, confiscated people’s
lands, expropriated our commonwealth and threw to the dogs our
collective esteem. Eight years of bad governance led to a mind-boggling
decay of critical public infrastructure; a crippling debt burden without
any meaningful infrastructural or institutional developments to show
for such a humongous debt. The health sector fared even worse.
6. The absolute lack of transparency and due process in land
administration and the distortion of the carefully laid out Owerri
Master Plan resulted in many citizens losing their lands, houses, and
business premises which they acquired legally while public open spaces
and green belts were converted to unapproved uses.
7.In the
light of recent revelations by interest groups, various institutions and
agencies of state, many have asked what becomes of those who recklessly
plundered our commonwealth. My answer is simple: They will be held
accountable. While this administration will be forward looking and not
embark on any witch-hunting, those who have held positions of authority
must prepare to render account of their stewardship to the people
because our resolve to hold their feet to the fire of probity and
accountability is iron-clad.
8. We must tell ourselves the
‘frank truth’ about the state of our State. We cannot play the ostrich
pretending that all is well when indeed we are in a deep hole. Imo is
broken and the climb out of the depths of despair will be steep, arduous
and tortuous. Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.
They are serious, and they are numerous. They will not be met easily or
in a short span of time.
9.But let no one underestimate our
resolve to do what is right for the good of our people. There is nothing
wrong with Imo which cannot be cured by all that is right in Imo. Imo
State will, as always, endure. Imo will revive. Imo will prosper again.
The task of rebuilding our broken State is a sacred one. It must be
done. We are armed with the courage of our conviction. We are not
captives of fear, for if we were, we would not have dared and if we did
not dare, this day would not have come.
10.I diligently sought
this office, knowing not only the issues involved, but also the
questions that agitate the minds of our people. We do not have all the
answers, neither do we have the magic wand. But we promise you our
honesty, sincerity and genuine commitment and candour. We will strive
to always tell you the truth. We promise a complete dedication to your
service, and yes, my considerable experience and capacity would be
brought to bear on governance issues with due humility. With God on our
side, we shall prevail.
11.One of the immediate actions of our
government will be to take appropriate steps and measures to restore
faith and confidence in government.
12.We will not waste a day
getting to work to renew the Imo promise of our founding fathers. The
direness of the situation dictates that we hit the ground running. The
fulfillment of the promises we made during the campaigns starts right
now.
13. Elections are over. Governance must now begin.
Politics is over, development must now begin. We must now shove aside
partisan political battles, petty bickering and quarrels and work
together for the common good of our people. I pledge before you today,
that I will be the Governor of all Ndi-Imo irrespective of your
geo-political zones and political affiliations. We will run an
accountable, transparent and inclusive administration.
14.Our
mission is to rebuild, reposition and transform Imo into a modern
ecosystem for education, agriculture, industry, tourism, culture,
sports, entertainment, human capital development, science and
technology, and exploitation of our natural resources, thereby creating
an enabling environment for sustainable economic growth and quality life
for our people.
15.In pursuit of the above objectives, we have
articulated measures and activities which must be implemented
immediately, some in the short term and others in the long term. These
will be announced from time to time, as the situation demands.
16.The manifesto I presented in the course of our campaign to the
people of Imo, contains details of our contract with Imo people. I am
once again making this document available to you today. A brief mention
of some of the key salient points will be made here.
i. Good Governance, Democracy and Rule of Law
We are on a rebuilding mission and our pathway to success is good
governance, human capital and integrated infrastructure development
which will fast track job and wealth creation.
The engine of good
governance must always be lubricated with the oil of due process, rule
of law and fiscal discipline. We will abide by that philosophy. Our
government will embark on Civil Service Reforms that will ensure a
well-trained, well-resourced, well equipped and motivated civil service
that will champion the efficient implementation of government policies.
To ensure efficiency, achieve cost savings and promote good maintenance
culture in government administration, we shall establish a Facility
Management Agency to manage government facilities and assets.
We
shall enthrone appropriate Due Process mechanism as a cardinal
administrative tool of our government in order to achieve value for
money and ensure fairness, transparency and competitiveness in the
running of government business. To this end, we shall revive and
revitalize the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in the State and
strengthen enabling laws on the subject.
Without checks and
balances and the dedication of the legislative arm of government to its
oversight functions, the tendency of the executive arm, or even the
judiciary, to make mistakes is high. As an accomplished lawmaker, my
abiding faith is in the mutual respect and cooperation of the three arms
of government. The principles of separation of powers and checks and
balances will define the relationship of my administration with the
State legislature.
Likewise, we shall respect the financial
autonomy of the Judiciary by implementing the provisions of the 1999
Constitution (as amended) as it is at the heart of judicial
independence. This we know is the surest way to promote rule of law. In
addition, for the advancement of speedy dispensation of justice, we
shall overhaul the criminal justice administration and domesticate the
Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
ii.Human Capital Development
Our administration shall commit to developing and harnessing the
God-Given talents and potentials of Ndi-Imo at home and in the diaspora,
towards preparing the present and future generations of our people to
become world class leaders in various fields.
On Education, I
wish to announce that we shall ensure the provision of qualitative
education in Imo State by taking appropriate measures for quality
control. We shall review the present, so called, “free education” to
ensure that Ndi – Imo gets the best.
In our strong belief that
development of a well-trained and motivated middle level manpower is
critical for supporting our industries and for self-employment of our
teaming youths, we shall pay special attention to Science, Technical and
Vocational Education in line with our commitment to achieving the UN
Sustainable Development Goals.
In this context, the four
Technical Colleges in Imo State: in Owerri, Ahiara, Orlu and Okigwe will
be re-furbished, re-equipped and provided with well-trained teachers
within the first 180 days of this administration. Our ambition is that
our artisans and craftsmen should be the best Nigeria can offer.
To support our educational objectives, we shall send a Bill immediately
the 9th State House of Assembly convenes, to set up an Education Trust
Fund. The Fund will mobilize the resources necessary to support the
qualitative education and other educational initiatives in the State.
On Healthcare, within the first 100 days of our government, we shall
conduct a critical needs assessment of the health institutions and
service providers across the State, with a view to repositioning the
sector for optimal services to our people. We are committed to providing
sustainable free healthcare services for pregnant women, children under
5 years of age and senior citizens seventy (70) years and above.
Our government shall align State priorities with real healthcare needs
and partner with the federal government, the private sector, civil
society groups, development partners and other stakeholders alike, to
promote universal access to affordable quality health care in a
participatory and inclusive manner. We shall also explore the
possibility of expanding a sustainable health insurance scheme for our
people.
iii.Industrialization, Job and Wealth Creation
Employment issues shall be tackled head-on. We shall by Executive Order,
and where necessary by Legislation, make it mandatory that all those
doing business in our State, and especially with the State Government,
must employ qualified Imo citizens and establish functional offices in
the State.
Our government shall undertake a massive investment in
agriculture and public works programmes strategically designed to be
labour intensive, as to absorb more people into the workforce.
To
compliment this, a Job Register will be established to collate the
particulars of unemployed people, and the jobs available in all sectors
of the economy therefore bridging the information gap between jobseekers
and employers. Thus, matching unemployed youths with opportunities,
initiatives and partnerships.
We shall also explore and exploit
the abundant solid minerals and mineral resources abundant in the State
in partnership with the private sector and financial institutions.
v.Agriculture and Food Security
Our government shall promote massive investment in agriculture with a
view to reducing unemployment and tackling poverty in the State. This
shall be done in collaboration with the private sector, multilateral
agencies and development finance organizations in the agricultural value
chain, in addition to leveraging on the various agricultural
development programmes available in the financial sector as supported by
the federal government.
Every community will be encouraged to
set up functional cooperative societies which the State will support
with agricultural loans, improved seedlings, and other support services.
An Agricultural City, in form of a layout, will also be established for
our agro-allied industries and agricultural initiatives geared towards
achieving self-sufficiency in food production and food security.
vi.Peace and Security
We can only attract businesses and prosperity to Imo if the security of
lives and properties are guaranteed. We wish to make it very clear that
Imo State under our watch will have zero tolerance for crime.
We
shall partner and support all federal security agencies and deploy the
latest modern technology to detect and combat crime. To this end, I
implore all who live and work in Imo to assist and cooperate with the
law enforcement agencies in order to make our State safe, secure and
attractive for investments.
The existing security infrastructure,
including the Imo Security Network, will be overhauled, re-organised
and confined to its constitutional roles.
vii.Integrated Infrastructural Development
To address the many years of infrastructural decay, poorly executed,
and uncompleted projects that litter the State. We shall do the
following in partnership with appropriate federal government agencies
and the private sector;
a. Introduce an integrated infrastructural
development master plan that will include, constructing quality roads,
dualisation of the four major roads linking Owerri Capital Territory
namely; Owerri-Orlu, Owerri-Okigwe, Owerri-Umuahia and Owerri-Aba Roads.
b. The proposed Lagos-Benin-Onitsha-Owerri-Aba-Calabar rail line is
critical to the economic development of the State, and we are committed
to partnering with the federal government to actualize this project. We
believe strongly that the realization of this project will ultimately
develop our State as a multi-modal transport hub for the region.
c. We shall also partner with the 27 Local Government Councils in the State to construct rural access roads.
d. We shall upgrade the existing power infrastructure in the State. It
is our firm conviction that we can only succeed in our industrialization
drive with remarkable improvement in power supply. To achieve this, we
shall work closely with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company
(EEDC), and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). We shall also explore
private sector initiatives and other alternative sources of energy to
improve power supply in the State.
e. Public Water Supply in both
urban and rural areas is particularly non-existent in the State. We
shall revive the State Water Corporation, and activate UNICEF assisted
Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) programs
to make clean water available to our people once again.
f. In light
of the above, we shall assess the quality and number of projects
undertaken by the previous government to determine their viability,
propriety and where necessary we shall complete them to ensure
continuity and save funds for the State. In the same vein, those that
fall short of established architectural and engineering design and
standards will be discarded.
viii. Land Administration.
You
will agree with me that the matter of land administration in the State
has been a vexed issue over the past 8years, characterized by
illegalities, lack of due process and transparency, or even near
privatisation. To address this, we shall revitalize and reposition the
moribund Imo State Geographic Information Agency (IGIA).
We shall
also institute appropriate measures to review all land allocations made
by the immediate past government, and of course, where necessary,
revoke or revert to original purposes. I consider this an irreversible
obligation to Ndi Imo.
ix. Smart Imo
My fellow citizens,
the economic prosperity and inclusive development which we seek can only
be attained if our people, especially our youths, are able to join and
benefit from the global movement in Information and Communication
Technology. To achieve these, we shall deploy internet broadband
connectivity across the State. Our people should have access to the
latest technologies and innovations to provide development solutions,
which will improve their socio-economic well-being and competitiveness.
The entire government service would be computerized and an e-government
platform will be established so that government activities can be
conducted online for improved efficiency and transparency.
Within
our transition period, we have attracted Google Cloud Engineer
Certification Programme for Imo State University, which shall be pursued
and implemented with vigour.
Also, within the first One hundred
(100) days in office, we shall set up a Digital Incubation and
Innovation Hub in collaboration with industry leaders to train thousands
of our young people in IT Skills that are deployable globally.
x.Sustainable Development Goals
We subscribe completely to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s),
and commit to making maximum efforts towards the implementation and
achievement of the goals, targets and indicators agreed by all member
States of the United Nations in 2015, to become the compass for
achieving inclusive socio-economic development. In particular, we shall
endeavor to alleviate abject poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and
other social problems and inequalities.
As a commitment to the
above, a revamped SDG office will be dedicated to monitoring and
tracking the progress made in implementing the goals. We shall leverage
on programmes available in the financial services sector to improve
access to finance to our people. Our government will align its
development plans and programmes with the SDG’s.
I recall with
nostalgia that in those good old days, Owerri was ranked the cleanest
State capital in Nigeria. We shall once again aspire to attain that
status in the coming months. Consequently, we shall promote a Go Green
and Stay Clean environmental policy for the health and wellbeing of our
people. Our government shall also embark on a waste-to-wealth
environmental policy that creates jobs, promotes healthy living and
international best practices.
xi.Women (Gender), Youths and Vulnerable Groups/Sports Development
Our government shall be sensitive to gender issues, and ensure gender
equity in government appointments and activities. We shall equip Imo
women and youths with resources, micro-credits, skills training and
entrepreneurship programmes to ensure productive undertakings. We shall
offer opportunities to physically challenged persons in the State to
ensure that their special needs are addressed. Our children deserve
special care and attention which are enshrined in the Child Rights Act,
passed by the National Assembly since 2003. We commit to promptly
domesticate this statute in the State.
Sports activities shall be
given its pride of place, through supporting the State’s sporting
associations and teams. We shall partner with the private sector to
establish a football academy, and other sporting academies to train our
youths and expose them to the best facilities. Inter-school sporting
activities will be re-introduced. Also, a one-stop- shop for youths will
be established in each Local Government Area which will contain, sports
facilities, Arts Gallery, Library, ICT Centre, and Unemployment Data
Capture Desk.
xii.Other Associated Programs:
Functional engagement with Development Partners and Civil Society groups
My dear Ndi-Imo, I am encouraged by the outpouring of support and
willingness to help our State navigate out of its problems by
International Development Partners including the World Bank, UK
Department of International Development (DfID), Agence for Francaise De
Developpement (French Development Bank), Commonwealth Enterprise
Investment Agency, the Government of German, amongst others.
To
this end we shall dedicate an office with the sole mandate of
attracting, and coordinating international development support and
efficiently administering same. We pledge to meet all obligations as may
be necessary to access such support and maintain a healthy relationship
between us and the partners. Consequently, we shall enact enabling
legislation as circumstances demand.
We shall promote citizens
assess to government by holding regular consultative meetings with all
segments of our society. This will serve as a feedback mechanism to
ensure that our government remains that of the people, by the people,
and for the people.
Relationship between government and civil
society will be based on shared concerns and information exchange that
is frank and respectful. It is in this regard that we shall establish an
Imo citizens outreach and communication mechanism to deepen inclusive
and accountable governance.
xiii Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Initiatives
May I use this opportunity to call on Ndi-Imo, living at home and in
the diaspora, to think home and invest at home. Our citizens are leading
industrialists and investors all over Nigeria and abroad. I shall spare
no efforts in providing the necessary enabling environment at making
Imo a preferred destination.
Imo is potentially a compelling
investment destination, considering its location as a confluence State,
and gateway to the South-East and South South. With an international
cargo airport, abundant manpower and a hospitable people, we should take
maximum advantage of these opportunities.
In this light, we
shall develop our diverse cultural festivals, films, music and
entertainment potentials as a major driver of investment and economic
growth. We shall ensure that the tourism calendar of Nigeria, and indeed
the world, contain events happening in our State.
xiv Trade, Investment and Commerce
Imo sons and daughters are well known all over the world for their
entrepreneurial drive and activities. Our government shall partner with
the private sector to develop industrial parks and clusters.
We
shall revive and re-position the Imo State Investment Promotion Agency
to drive and anchor investments in the State. Improving the ease of
doing business index in the state, for which Imo is presently,
shamefully ranked 34 out of 36 States in Nigeria, will be our priority.
In the Oil and Gas Sector, I wish to announce that we shall take full
advantage of the ASA North gas processing project at Ohaji. We are
committed to setting up a Petroleum Industrial Park, where oil and gas
related businesses will be domiciled. This park will be provided with
necessary facilities to make it functional.
Apart from the
Onitsha Road Industrial Layout, which we shall revive, we intend to set
up another Light Industrial Park to take care of other aspects of
industries and commercial concerns.
Our government shall promote
home grown initiatives and programmes that will support the development
and growth of small and medium enterprises (SMES) across the State. We
shall enter into partnerships with Markets’ and Traders’ Associations on
one hand, and financial institutions on the other hand to support young
trainees from these markets to startup businesses. We will set out a
new policy for development and management of markets, in consultation
with Local Government Councils, in the entire state.
I stand ready to personally interface and facilitate with any person or company willing to establish business in Imo.
xv Local Government /Community Development
In view of the role of the communities, in matters of security and
governance at the local level, our administration shall reach the
grassroots through partnership with town unions, the traditional
institutions and local government councils. The town unions will thus be
the fulcrum for community development efforts.
We shall revamp
administration at the grassroots level by reinvigorating the local
government system, by restoring the constitutional powers and
responsibilities of the local councils as provided in the constitution.
Good governance at the local government council level is critical for
delivery of our anti-poverty and other developmental programmes.
Furthermore, every community and local government council shall be
required within the first one hundred days of this administration, to
carry out needs assessment of the projects they identify as priority for
implementation by the State government. This will form the basis of the
development of Imo Rural Infrastructure Development Plan.
xvi Funding Sources
On financing our ambitious projects and programmes, we shall introduce
innovative strategies to optimize Internally Generated Revenue (IGR),
through ICT platform solutions designed for complete revenue cycle
management and business process automation. In doing this, we shall
strive to balance revenue goals with social justice imperatives. We
shall introduce a Treasury Single Account (TSA) where all government
receipts and revenue will be domiciled. This will enhance transparency
and accountability of government revenue and increase the IGR component
of our financial standing.
Our government shall work out
arrangements, in co-operation with the federal authorities, leveraging
on our experience, contacts and competencies for various government
programmes to our comparative advantage. We shall equally key into the
other funds available at both the federal level and from the
multi-lateral agencies.
Conclusion:
I
conclude by once again, thanking all of you, Ndi-Imo, for making today
possible and assure you of our resolve to rebuild our state. To make Imo
work again. To make Imo prosper again. To make Imo triumph again. We
have resolved that never again shall our Imo be neglected and abandoned
to the forces of retrogression. Never again shall we succumb to forces
of darkness. Imo shall rise again. With God on our side, we shall
deliver on the promises we have made. The Deputy Governor and I ask for
your cooperation. We ask for your trust. We ask for your patience. Yes,
we ask for your prayers. If we offend some of you or step on toes in
the course of doing the people’s business, we ask for your
understanding. For together we shall achieve the Imo of our dreams with
all hands on deck.
Finally, while awaiting various actions and
directives in the coming days, it is the responsibility of the Permanent
Secretaries of the Ministries and Chief Executives of the various
Government Agencies to secure government properties and facilities at
this transition period. I expect to immediately receive an accurate
status of affairs in the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of
Government under their watch.
Long live Imo State!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Thank you and God bless.
Imo. One State. One People. One Family.
“Imo wụ nke anyị niile”
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