…..Says governor correcting years of misgovernance under Okorocha
By Kemi Yesufu
Deputy Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Niger-Delta, Hon. Henry Nwawuba, has called for patience and support for Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State, as he had little option but to commence his tenure with correcting, what he described as years of bad governance under the immediate past governor of the state, Senator. Rochas Okorocha.
The lawmaker, representing Mbaitoli/ Ikeduru Federal Constituency of Imo State in a chat with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, said rather than be criticized for inaugurating committees to look into past interventions and areas of contention in the state, Ihedioha should be commended for seeking holistic solutions to intricate problems he inherited from the Okorocha Administration, which held sway for eight years.
Nwawuba further argued that the Ihedioha Administration in Imo State has not only discarded the old ways of conducting business which was characterized by a lack of transparency and accountability, it is also charting a new course with interventions such as the introduction of Treasury Single Account policy (TSA) and the payment of counterpart funding for the N13.5 billion Rural Access and Mobility (RAMP) Project backed by the World Bank.
According to him, the World Bank assisted RAMP, which will see the construction of 380.7 kilometer- rural roads will reduce poverty and trigger significant development, as well as improve the state’s output in agriculture.
Recall that Governor Ihedioha on Tuesday flagged off the World Bank assisted Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) to include 380.7 kilometres of the rural road across the 27 Local Government Areas of the state. Also Ihedioha in July closed 250 revenue accounts in Imo and adopted the TSA policy of the Federal Government.
Nwawuba said: “I speak not just for myself but people from my constituency. I also spoke on behalf of the Senator representing Owerri Zone when the governor flagged of the project in Imo. There was sheer ecstasy in the land. These are roads that will pass through markets, farms and communities in Imo.
“These roads will make it easy for us to move produce from farms to markets. You can also look at other ways the new roads will impact on securing lives and property and improving overall economic prosperity. This is just a positive development of which Imo people are so delighted and excited”.
Nwawuba opined that Ihedioha will deliver on RAMP, not only because he is partnered with the World Bank, but also because he has promised to resuscitate the Imo Rural Roads Maintenance Agency (IRROMA), to maintain roads.
Reiterating his support for actions taken by Ihedioha since he assumed office, Nwawuba described the steps taken by the governor as necessary and highly commendable.
“I actually think it’s a shame, when some people ask why the governor set up committees or say that he is looking back too much. You actually need to see the level of decay, looting and greed that took place in Imo. You need to see the level of hunger and suffering on the faces of the people as a consequence of the looting.
“People need to see the lack of systems, the lack of structure that existed in Imo. So, we as a people, as well as government had to unbundle and defragment…. to achieve any kind of development and progress. If that’s what some people call looking back too much, so be it”, the lawmaker said.
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