Tag: Uzodimma

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has urged government appointees and elected office holders to respect, commit and be guided by the solemn oath to work in the greatest interest of the State and the nation during their swearing-in ceremony.

Uzodimma gave the advice at the weekend, at the swearing-in ceremony of the Acting Chief Judge of Imo State, Hon. Justice Ijeoma Agugua, the new Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice,  Mr. Paul Obinatu, and Prof. Chinonye Love Moses, who will oversee the newly created Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Skill Acquisition and Social Responsibility.

The event took place at the Sam Mbakwe Exco Chambers, Government House Owerri.

The governor explained that election or appointment into public offices is strictly to serve the interest of the people and not for personal gain.

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He said: “You are elected or appointed to serve, and the only way to do this and come out with a result is to remain focused, respect the oath of office, and always ask yourself; does my action align with the interest of the people?”

Uzodimma who recalled the challenges faced at the outset of his administration in 2020, pointed out that most of them were surmounted based on his commitment to the oath he took, to the fear of God, and heeding to his conscience to do things right, “and the determination to get Imo State right.

“Imo State we met in 2020, even the blind in the State can attest that it is not the same today,” he noted.

He expressed optimism that Imo State Judiciary will bounce back again and all lingering issues surmounted.

“The interest of Imo State which the law stands for will not be cast away,” he said, pointing out that “swearing-in of the most senior Judge in the State Judiciary, in line with the constitutional provisions, is a step to recovery of the system.”

Uzodimma further disclosed that in his determination to stamp out kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and other forms of criminal activities, he created a new Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Skill Acquisition and Social Responsibility, “to address the problem of unemployment and creating needed engagement for unemployed youth and the vulnerable population.”

He said that two new Commissioners – Mr. Paul Obinatu and Prof. Moses – were chosen because they have made their marks in the judiciary and academia respectively.

In their respective vote of thanks, the Acting Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Ijeoma Agugua and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Paul Obinatu on behalf of others,  thanked the governor for finding them worthy of the positions and pledged their commitment to justice development, peace and sustainability in line with the 3R vision of the government hinged on Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery.

The President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Barr. Victor Okon, the Chief Registrar of the Customary Court of Appeal, Faith Opara; Rtd.Chief Justice B.A Njemanze; serving Judges of Imo State, members of the zonal branches of NBA; Secretary to the State  Government, Chief Cosmos Iwu, Chief of Staff, Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie, members of the Imo State Executive Council, among others, witnessed the event.

A book, A Decade of Impactful Progressive Governance in Nigeria, written by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma is due for presentation on September 30.

According to a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, using his position as an insider, the governor leveraged his position as Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) Chairman to chronicle the events before and after the ascension of the party to power, and how it has impacted Nigeria.

The 10-chapter book, whose foreword was written by the immediate past Chairman of the APC and former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is a veritable compendium for both APC and non-APC members alike, the statement added.

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Emelumba quoted Governor Uzodimma as saying that the book is unique “because of its objective nature, as it highlights the obvious challenges faced by the APC in its 10-year governance from May 2015 to May 2025.”

The Commissioner said Governor Uzodimma is convinced that the book presents “a critical analysis of the manifesto of the APC and how far the party has gone in actualizing it, including areas of shortcomings. It is definitely not a PR book for the APC but a sincere examination of the party’s performance in governance.”

The broad areas covered by Uzodimma in the book include early progressive movements and parties in Nigeria, comparative analysis between pre- and post-APC eras, and the sectoral achievements recorded by the APC government in the last 10 years, Emelumba said.

According to him, Uzodimma also discussed the way forward for progressive governance in Nigeria and the vision of the APC for the country’s future, especially in the economic frontiers.

Top dignitaries across party divides are expected to grace the historic occasion.

Imo State governor and Chairman Crude Oil Theft and Management Committee, Hope Uzodimma says the committee is collaborating with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to boost crude oil production.

According to him, the aim is to increase crude oil production to three million barrels per day in line with the target set by President Bola Tinubu.

He made this known while speaking to newsmen in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with governors of oil-producing states, top officials of the NNPCL, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Uzodimma noted that oil production figures were already showing signs of improvement.

“Only yesterday, the National Economic Council requested an update from the sub-committee on crude oil theft and prevention.

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“During the meeting, we observed an encouraging upward trend in crude oil production, which we attribute to the collective efforts of industry management, security agencies and state-level actors.”

The governor explained that Friday’s meeting was convened to receive briefings from the new leadership of NNPCL and NUPRC.

“We are satisfied with the presentations and the current work plan of the NNPCL.

“The committee plans to engage further with the management to align on strategies that will help Nigeria meet its production target.

“Our goal is to ensure the country produces at least three million barrels of crude oil per day, in line with the target set by President Bola Tinubu,” Uzodimma said.

He also lauded the President for his leadership and recent reforms in the oil and gas sector, which he said were beginning to yield positive results.

Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo has approved a new minimum wage of N104,000 for civil servants in the state.

Uzodimma made this known during a meeting with various labour union leaders on Tuesday night at the Government House in Owerri.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor increased the minimum wage from N76,000 to N104,000.

Similarly, the minimum wage of doctors was raised from N215,000 to N503,000, while that of tertiary institution teachers increased from N119,000 to N222,000, among others.

He said Imo citizens had faced numerous challenges since his government took office, including insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic, economic hardship from reform policies, and disputes over minimum wage and subsidy removal.

 “There is no way any government will do well if it doesn’t have a friendly and cordial relationship with the organised labour.

“When workers are paid well, productivity rises, families are happier, and the local economy grows.

“This is our way of investing in Imo people. Government believes in stimulating political and economic activities, carrying bureaucrats along, and making sure that workers’ welfare was highly respected,” he said.

Uzodimma said that the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) had grown from N400 million to over N3 billion monthly.

According to him, in 2020, we were receiving allocations between N5 billion to N7 billion, but has increased to N14 billion.

“In 2020, the state recorded a debt profile of over N280 billion but has reduced to less than N100 billion,” he added.

The governor recalled that when he assumed office in 2020, the major infrastructure in all sectors were totally collapsed.

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He said a lot had been expended to rebuild the collapsed infrastructure especially roads and combating the insecurity challenges.

He stressed that the removal of fuel subsidy had equally raised the cost of living in Nigeria as much as it had its own advantages.

“It is a thing of joy that we have started seeing the dividends of that bold decision of President Bola Tinubu to remove fuel subsidy.

“What government is confronted with now is how to ensure that the dividends of that policy trickles down to the common man on the street.

“Cognisant of the fact that our effort has started yielding dividends and that our IGR had improved and that reform policies of the President has also increased our allocations to sub-national governments, every responsible government must be transparent about it,” he said.

The governor further said that the state government will on Aug. 27, begin  payment of the last batch of gratituity of N16 billion owed pensioners in the state.

He said his administration had carried out major reforms in the health sector, including initiating health insurance scheme and equipping health facilities to ensure world class treatment for Imo citizens.

He said his government had keyed into the Federal Government project of establishing 1,000 businesses in every active INEC ward.

He charged labour unions to unite to foster good working relations between labour and government,

Uzodimma, who solicited for value addition from workers, also cautioned them against unethical practices and redundancy at work.

Responding, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Uchechigemezu Nwigwe described the increase in minimum wage in the state as “victory for the entire work force in the state.”

Nwigwe said Uzodimma did not only rescue the workers from the economic challenges, but had made the state one of the highest in payment of minimum wage.

“Today, no worker in Imo will say you (Uzodimma) have not been fair to us,” he noted.

Nwigwe prayed God to continue to protect the governor, assuring him that workers will reciprocate the gesture with more diligent, efficient and effective service.

Also speaking, the state Chairman of Trade Union Congress, Mr Uchenna Ibe, also lauded the governor for his “strong political will in taking up strong projects, including the increase in minimum wage.” (NAN)