By Williams Odunze
Since the second term inauguration of Senator Hope Odidika Uzodima was witnessed on January 14 he presumably went to sleep after the event and kept the people of the State in the dark.
It is running closely to three months since he was sworn in for his second term in office after the November 11 2023 gubernatorial election.
The only public announcement one could say the Governor made was dissolving of his cabinet which is in order according to the administrative rules. But ever since then, no public statement has ever emanated from him.
His first public outing was his unceremonious journey to Edo State where he went and conducted the APC gubernatorial primary election that was later nullified by the national Chairman of the party due to some noticeable electoral irregularities.
His second public outing was welcoming of the first Lady Oluremi Tinubu to the State and non of these outings was a State function. Again he disappeared.
Government house is now shadow of itself as all ministries and prastatals are left in shadow themselves.
Local Governments in the State totally totally moribund and dead.
Still allocations are not being utilized to the people’s benefits.The State is quietly but quickly bleeding to death.Yet, the governor is no where to be seen.
His second term administration which ought to have kick started immediately, came to an abrupt stagnation after the swearing in ceremony as there was no any political activity ever recorded.
No public functions,no public statements, no directives as regards to governance amidst the harrowing economic uncertainties and prevailing harsh weather condition in the State and Nigeria.
The State, administratively speaking is in isolation from other States as the governor can neither be seen nor be heard.
The citizens are living in total dejection and despair not knowing the direction where the wind of the current economic eruption is taking the State to.
In all honesty, these are not the right times to keep the citizens in abeyance putting into consideration the prevalent economic storm ravaging the entire country which in Imo State is not excluded from hence the need for the governor to talk to his people.
Unfortunately, the State as it stands now is just like an object floating on top of the sea and its movement at the mercy of the sea waves.
Worried minds are asking what could make the governor to be keeping the people in the dark even though there are certain incidents that happened which could have warranted the governor to address the State.
There are some recorded incidents of killings recently in the State, those killed are Imo citizens and as chief security of the State,he is duty bound to speak on every incident that happened.
The current harsh weather condition coupled with skeletal electricity power supply that is telling on the people ought to have moved him to address the State.
Ministries and other relevant agencies concerned with environmental affairs are supposed to initiate short and long term measures to curtail the effect of climate change but who will direct them.?
There are also motions of high human importance from members of the State House of Assembly as they raised their voices on the environmental calamity that awaits many Local Governments in the State posed by gully erosions that is seriously eating up communities if nothing urgent is done.
Imo State and the nation at large are currently facing food crisis which will be multiplied if nothing urgent is done to curtail the effect of gully erosions attacking many parts of the State.
Farmers are finding it difficult to convey their produce to the market due to the devastating damage erosions has done to their roads.
Communities have been cut off from their neighbours, residential buildings attacked and no remedy on sight.
The State House of Assembly in carrying out its legislative duties has done its bits by passing those motions that demand immediate and urgent attention but who is going to execute them in a situation where the governor is neither seen nor heard.
The rainy season is setting in which will aggravate the already ugly environmental challenges, when will the expected rescue comes, if not now.Imolites are seriously waiting with blinking eyes as posterity beckons on Uzodinma to resume duty without much ado.
This is a mandate he seriously contested for,why is he now sleep walking about it.
Embarking on vacation is not a bad idea anyway after all God rested on the seventh day after six days of serious labour but in the case of my governor he embarked on vacation upon inauguration,when he was supposed to begin his second term administration and this is worrisome.Very worrisome indeed.
It is just like being in a race where the baton was passed to you and you suddenly veered off from the track.
It could have been excusable if it is Uzodinma’s first time in office because one will say that he is yet to get acquainted with the political environment.
But this is not the case of a first timer,he ought to have mastered the political space after four years of navigating the corridor of power.Governance, has never at any time be a tea party affairs.
It was expected of him to have kicked the ball rolling upon his second term inauguration.
Formation of new cabinet members is not supposed to take most of his time as it is assumed he knows who is who after four years of his administrative experience.
Commendably,he has sent lists of Commissioner nominees before the Imo State House of Assembly which got speedy confirmation by the Lawmakers. It is running into weeks after their confirmations but are yet to be assigned with portfolios.
It is very disappointing that the governor is yet to sniff the coffee of his second term administration to know how it tastes.
How will he know where the nail pinches when he is yet to put on the shoes.This is the time he should wake up to stop the drift.
The people of the State are living in despair not knowing what next to do, where to go amidst environmental and economic turmoil.The danger should abate.The Governor must come to terms with the present reality.
A ship cannot set sail and its captain immediately go asleep in the midst of heavy storm, it’s tantamount to total calamity.
Let the second administrative journey begin, let the people begin also to feel its positive impact as promised by the Governor during the electioneering campaigns.
Let the 3R mantra, this time around come to its real manifestation to assuage the people’s current sufferings.This malaise must stop and that is what Gov.Hope Uzodinma has sworn to do.Let him rise to the challenge
