Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has painted a graphic picture of his ‘divine’ journey towards becoming the governor of the state.

He spoke to editors attending the 18^th All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Owerri on Friday. He told his story thus:

“In 2015, I was re-elected into the 8th Assembly as two-term senator and was set for a re-election in 2019 back to the Senate before duty called me back home for a governorship assignment in 2018. At the time, the political atmosphere in Imo State was truly charged. Palpable despondency pervaded the air and something unusual was about to happen. This was not only because of the abysmal performance of the government of the day, but also because the state appeared to be headed to an unthinkable political configuration that could sentence generations unborn to political servitude. Imo people were aghast and quite uncomfortable with the unfolding arrangement but were nonetheless completely helpless.  Most governorship aspirants in the ruling APC abandoned the party, making the situation even more dire.

“It was against this background that a group of Elders from Owerri and Okigwe zones led a delegation to me to come and salvage the situation knowing my political pedigree. Many of those who led that delegation are alive and some of them are present at this occasion. Their confidence that I could stop the political drift emboldened me. So, driven largely by patriotism and, feeling somewhat like the biblical Moses, I rose to the challenge to set Imo free from a looming political servitude. To the glory of God, I emerged victorious at the APC governorship primaries of 2018, and consequently became the APC flag bearer for the 2019 governorship elections. Wrestling the ticket from the grip of an anointed candidate was a significant victory of its own.

“The eruption of ecstasy that greeted my emergence as the APC flag bearer witnessed in Imo State was unimaginable but heart-warming. The enthusiastic reception I received from Imo people the day I returned to Owerri from Abuja shortly after my victory at the party primaries was ratified by the APC national leadership was also unimaginable. Owerri was locked down by a sea of heads that trooped out to welcome me all the way from the Sam Mbakwe Airport, through the streets to the centre of the city. Our people saw me, and rightly too, as the man, God would use to save them from a modern-day political bondage. This effusion of incredible love from Imo people was replicated and sustained all through the campaign season. Our campaign office was a beehive of human traffic which surged daily to show their support and solidarity, with many volunteering to play a role in the campaign. Many joined the campaign trail and asked for nothing in return. All they wanted was to play their part in the fight to save the state from further decline.

“In the light of these, even before the first ballot was cast in the governorship election of 2019, it was obvious to even a political neophyte and naysayers that Hope Uzodimma, the APC candidate, was the man to beat in that election.”

Uzodimma also extolled the kind, fair and objective reporting style of journalists in the country, saying it has aided his administration’s successes.

He thanked the editors for the role of the media in the buildup to the elections that saw his emergence as governor and urged them not to relent in the discharge of their professional responsibilities.

He called on the editors to find time to tour the state so as to observe firsthand the achievements of his administration so as to better appreciate the role of the media in people -oriented governance.

He listed the achievements to include the revamping of the state’s water scheme, sanitisation of the state state’s civil service, road construction and rehabilitation as well as an aggressive fight against criminality.

He said that his 3R mantra of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery led to the successful renovation of health centres,  resuscitation of the Ada Palm plantation through Public Private Partnership.

He added that he also restored accreditation to the state’s university while dredging the Orashi river and other waterways and training youths on digital skills.

“It is important that you editors use this opportunity to see how far we have gone in delivering good governance. The unique circumstances that fueled my governorship ambition were divinely inspired.

“My ambition was almost truncated by a high level conspiracy but your objective reportage of events went really helped the situation,” he said.

Uzodimma said that his administration provided official vehicles for permanent secretaries and High Court Judges in the state to smoothen the process of service delivery.

According to him, Imo was ready for business as it was once again, secure.

” Imo has regained her lost glory as the hospitality capital of the South-East. We are ready for business.

” Journalists have been kind, fair and objective in telling our story. Together we can do many things “, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by Chairman of the conference, Prof. Stella Okunna and President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, Mr Muhammad Isah as well as a host of editors from across the country.