The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, who dissolved his Cabinet several months ago, has finally scheduled the inauguration of the Commissions designate and other top government functionaries for today.
A public service announcement signed by the Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Cosmos Iwu and made available to the press over the weekend, stated, “the Governor has approved the inauguration of members of the State expanded executive on Tuesday April, 30, 2024 at Executive Council chambers, Government House, Owerri by 10am”.
The statement advised all invited guests to be seated by 9.30 am before the arrival of the Governor.
Recall, that Imolites had in the past,severally called on the governor to as a matter of urgency inaugurate members of the state exco as the present and past arrangement, show that he is running the state as a personal estate or conquered territory.
On page 4 of April, 18, 2024 edition of Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper, it was reported that Imolites at home and in the Diaspora have consistently expressed concern over Governor Hope Uzodinma’s style of governance that has made him the Sole Administrator of the state, as he has been operating without Commissioners, Local Government Chairman, and Heads of Boards and parastatals, etc.
An ex-appointee of government who does not want his name mentioned said, “it is unheard of that the Governor of a state would be administering the state as his personal estate the way Uzodinma is doing without Commissioners, Secretary to the State Government SSG, Chief of Staff, and other key appointees of Government, while the state keep receiving monthly allocations that he disburses the way he likes as if the money is solely his and not that of Imo people whose mandate he holds in trust.
The Coordinator of Imolites For Good Governance IFGG, a civil rights group, Comrade Gideon Nwadialu, while commenting on the development which he described as an aberration, said, “Governor Hope Uzodinma’s style of governance and the way he unilaterally disburses the money accruing to the state and her people is not only worrisome but an aberration that should be condemned by all well meaning people who are not benefiting from the corrupt system that has traumatized and relegated the interest of the people to the background”.
Nwadialu, wondered why Governor Uzodinma, has refused to inaugurate and assign portfolios to his appointees who had already been screened and endorsed by the State House of Assembly, while at the same time churning out more names as Special Advisers.
This, according to him shows that the Governor does not have any respect for due process and takes delight in deliberately committing blunder as a norm.
Recall, that the Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, in Imo State, Kissinger Ikeokwu had in a release he issued recently, blamed the state government for the excruciating hardship, hunger, lack and deprivation in the state and also called on the Governor to stop gallivanting to and from Abuja and stay in the state to face issues of governance.
A Government House source who pleaded anonymity said, “it is very unfortunate that Imo State is presently administered by three people, namely the Governor, Hope Uzodinma, the Accountant General, of the state, Linus Okafor, who is the Governor’s kinsman and the Director General of Imo Data Management Center, Terrence Onyejiaku who is also said to come from Oru East L.G.A. These three people decide how to disburse the resources of the state to the exclusion of other government officials whose offices are presently vacant.
