For want of a better description; the Governor of Imo State; Senator Hope Odidika Uzodinma is a misunderstood person. If you write a biopic of his sojourn into a movie script, with A-list actors, storyline, spectacles, settings and directorial creativity, it will make a sold-out box office movie. His story can be likened to that of the biblical David; A man after God’s heart. His story in life connotes grace, blessings and sheer luck. He started politics early in life when he was elected Imo State Youth leader for the National Party of Nigeria NPN. All his life, he has always wanted the best for his immediate environment thereby impacting them with his resources, time and energy. After paying his dues, supporting different candidates for Gubernatorial and trying severally, in 2011 he was elected Senator representing Imo West at the hallowed upper National Assembly. After many backs and forth with legal litigations; Hope finally won at the supreme court which marked the beginning of his political sojourn as a Senator. As a member of the Senate, he ensured salient issues were raised on the floor of the house and lent his voice to bills passed.
After the 2019 Imo Guber election, Senator Hope approached the court to reclaim his mandate. On the 14th of January 2020, the Supreme Court sacked Emeka Ihedioha and declared Senator Hope as governor of Imo State against all odds. To the chagrin of his detractors who felt his years of struggles will not pay off, they were thrown off their feet as he was sworn in as Governor of Imo. While he was carrying out his official duty as Governor of the state, some unscrupulous elements were making the state ungovernable for him trying to destabilize the peace of Imolites. Despite the serious crisis Imo state is facing, Governor Hope is performing excellently by ensuring peace and tranquillity are returned to the state via dialogue with stakeholders.
Despite the travails he was battling in the state, his strides in the area of infrastructure, education, security, economic reform, revenue generation, health care, hospitality, and tourism are being felt across the board. With his power of negotiation and his close filial relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari, he was able to ensure federal Government presence in the stateopening room for an economic boom and infrastructural development and more investment. His relationship with Mr President has given birth to the establishment of a Naval Base in Ogwuta, Imo State which will drastically reduce Oil theft and also strengthen the security architecture of the state with more military firepower available. Yesterday, alongside notable politicians and the Flag-Officer-In-Charge of Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral IbrahimShetima witness the official flag-off and dredging of the Oguta Lake. This is quite significant because this will be the first Naval base in the whole of South East and the dredging of the lake will open Imo to a Deep seaport that can accommodate large container Cargo ships from all around the world which will deconjest the Apapa Port. It will also serve the whole South East and open its robust economy. It was gathered that before the official dredging, Governor Hope had met with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA in Abuja on the quick need to ensure synergy with the state to achieve its dream of having a deep seaport that will be Public and private Partnership funded. NPA has also agreed to work with Imo State Government and has also put measures in place to ensure a solid delivery of a functional port before the next four years.
