Ogu Bundu Nwadike
As the year 2019 counts down its last seven days, a catalogue of individual and group accomplishments, achievements and failures should be made. It’s a one good assignment for anybody or group to prepare for if they must have a better and greater 2020.
In business management and administration, and in fact in the management of an individual’s runs, there’s the need for what has become known as the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis.
With form of the SWOT analysis, the accomplishments and achievements of the person or the people may be identified and catalogued.
In Imo State, the governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha CON, KSC, FNIFST made the best out of the outgoing year, 2019. The summary is that he made spectacular accomplishments and achievements right from January to December 2019!
As at January 1, 2019, Ihedioha had completed his second phase of consultations with the people of Imo State in the 305 wards and 27 LGAs of.
He had spoken for at least cummulative 300 hours standing and sitting with traditional rulers, party leaders, politicians and the masses, under rain and shine.
On January 9, the Imo PDP LGA campaign rallies, led by the gubernatorial candidate himself, were kicked off at Mbaitoli LGA. The governorship election was originally scheduled to hold on February 23.
The Imo PDP campaign rallies across the 27 LGAs remained sustainable until February 12 when, with a mega roadshow carnival, the rallies were successfully brought to a happy end with the last LGA, Owerri Municipal.
A last round of tour of the three geopolitical zones of Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri Zones was made by Imo PDP with their candidate, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. No stone was left unturned towards ensuring resounding victory at the polls.
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After the eleventh hour shift in date of the election to March 9 from the original February 23, the groundwork was intensified by Imo PDP and Ihedioha. All checks for loose ends were steadily made. Thus far so good!
Then came the dawn of Saturday, March 9, 2019, the day of the election. After all expected hostilities and brouhaha, voting was concluded and results collated at the polling units. Aluta continua!
It took the entire night of that Saturday, the entire day and night of the next day, Sunday, March 10 and the morning of Monday, March 11, before INEC finished with the announcing of the results and declaration of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as the governor-elect with an overwhelming margin of votes!
That was the most major accomplishment and achievement of Gov. Ihedioha in 2019.
His consultations and campaigns recorded tremendous accomplishments and achievements for him, but his victory in the election was the grandmother of them all! And Imo people rejoiced to the highest heavens, with thanksgiving to God for liberating Imo State from her serial rapists, looters and grabbers!
The triumph of Imo PDP and the governor at the Tribunal and Court of Appeal turned out to be another great accomplishment and achievement for the party and the governor in 2019.
In April 2019, soon after his election was declared by INEC, Ihedioha assembled the best intellectuals, technocrats and professionals in the state into the Imo Transition Technical Committee (TTC). Those were to later fashion out the subsisting road map, the guidebook, the compass, the framework for the Rebuilding Administration. This was a remarkable landmark accomplishment and achievement!
On May 29, 2019 Gov. Ihedioha was inaugurated as the sixth democratically elected governor of Imo State. It was a monumental, historical accomplishment and achievement!
Between May 29 and December 29, 2019, it has been an avalanche of accomplishments upon accomplishments and achievements upon achievements. Call it accomplishment and achievement galore!
Within the first 100 days, 100 accomplishments and achievements were recorded. By the 214 days in office it’s over 1000 accomplishments and achievements.
For the sake of those who may not know and those that may have forgotten, the word “accomplishment” means “an impressive thing that is done or achieved after a lot of work.” And “achievement” means “a thing that somebody has done successfully, especially using their own effort and skill.” Often, both accomplishment and achievement interchange as synonyms, but there’s a difference!
By declaring his positive predisposition to an inclusive government, rule of law and due process, respect for institutions, amenability to integrity, probity, transparency and accountability, Governor Ihedioha was garnering blue chip accomplishments and achievements.
The local government system in Imo State was restored with full autonomy granted by Gov. Ihedioha. And life returned to the local government areas, with numerous projects, which reactivated the comatose economic activities in the rural areas.
From a paltry internally generated revenue base of about N200 million which Gov. Ihedioha inherited, he was able to grow it to about N1 billion within seven months.
With Order 005, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) was adopted in Imo State, putting an end to the 250 bank accounts that was being operated by Imo State under his predecessor.
Salaries and pensions of workers and pensioners were restored to 100% from the 70% and 40% inherited by Gov. Ihedioha.
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After the biometric verification for Imo pensioners, the payment of pensions became automated through e-banking, through which pensioners began to get alerts for payment of their pensions.
The foregoing added to the regime of accomplishment and achievement galore that characterized Gov. Ihedioha’s 2019!
It’s not news that over 500 kilometers of roads in both the urban and rural areas are being constructed, reconstructed and rehabilitated.
It’s not news that public water supply has been restored in the State. Parts of Owerri city enjoyed public water supply over the yultide season! Public electricity supply restored to communities and public buildings that were disconnected for eight years.
It’s not news that technical and vocational education was restored by Gov. Ihedioha with the reinventing, renovation and refurbishing of the four technical colleges in the State. A lot more are happening in the education sector, where thousands of jobs are about to be provided.
It’s not news that virtually every sector of the State is receiving a desirable turnaround rebuilding. The stinky environment of the capital city is being replaced by a necessary cleanliness.
It’s not news that Ahiajoku Festival has been restored. It’s not news that His Royal Majesty, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya has been restored as the traditional ruler of Obinugwu autonomous community.
It’s not news that ambassadors and high commissioners of the United States of America, Britain, Japan, Belarus etcetera have paid visits to Imo State. Ditto serving Ministers of the Federal Republic also visited. Which shall we mention and which shall we leave out? They’re simply many!
It’s not news that Governor Ihedioha has consequently been announced as the “Most Popular Governor in Nigeria”, and “The Best Performing Governor in Nigeria”, while Imo State is “The State with the Highest Growing Economy”, “The Least Corrupt State in Nigeria” with more in the pipeline!
Let’s not strive to see our wrist watches with a mirror. The RebuildImo Administration of Governor Emeka Ihedioha has made wonderful accomplishments and achievements since the beginning of the year 2019. There are always so much to be done. But so much of what must be done were done. It wasn’t easy!
A comprehensive compilation of Gov. Ihedioha’s successes in 2019, with particular emphasis on the last six months of the year, should run into 100 pages of normal font size. That indicates that the accomplishments and achievements of Governor Ihedioha are innumerable!
That should suffice, beloved fellow Imolites, for a justification of the purpose of this short essay, which is to establish the fact that 2019 was a successful year of accomplishments and achievements for Governor Ihedioha, for Imo people and for Imo State.
The prayer is that God Almighty that ensured a successful 2019 for Imo people and Imo State will abide and make 2020 an even better year for everybody. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
