A professor of political science at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nnaoma Hyacinth Iwu, says Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has laid infrastructural foundations that will guide successive administrations in the state.
Iwu said future governments in Imo would benefit from Uzodimma’s approach to infrastructure, particularly his emphasis on quality and durability in project execution.
In a statement made available to The Nation on Thursday, the don said Uzodimma’s administration had introduced a new approach to governance in the state.
‘Senator Hope Uzodimma ushered in a paradigm shift that has drawn the attention of individuals, the Nigerian state, and other fellows across the globe,’ he said.
Uzodimma was first sworn in as the 16th governor of Imo State on January 15, 2020, after the Supreme Court nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had been declared winner of the 2019 governorship election in the state.
Since the inception of his administration, Uzodimma, who is the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors Forum, has said his government has completed over 130 roads across the 27 local government areas of the state.
The governor has repeatedly maintained that his infrastructural achievements surpassed the combined projects delivered by his predecessors in the state since 1999.
Some of the major dual carriageway and urban/rural projects reportedly completed by the administration include the Owerri-Orlu and Owerri-Okigwe roads, Owerri-Mbaise-Obowo-Umuahia Road, Mgbidi-Oguta Road, Orlu-Mgbee-Akokwa-Uga Road, and the Naze-Ihiagwa-Obinze/Nekede corridors, linking the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) and the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede.
The government reportedly allocated about N297 billion to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructural Development in the 2025 budget, with higher allocations in the 2026 budget.
Uzodimma has consistently described ‘quality and durable roads’ as central to his Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery (3R) agenda and ‘Shared Prosperity’ vision for Imo.
Iwu said an aspect of the governor’s administration that had not received enough attention was his effort to reduce the cost of governance for future administrations through standard project execution.
The professor said road construction required huge financial resources and should not be treated as short-term projects because of the importance of roads to the movement of people, goods and services.
According to him, asphalt roads typically last between 10 and 20 years, while concrete roads can last between 20 and 40 years.
‘Past governments have never given attention to this strategic consideration. Unfortunately, the Imo people have witnessed roads and public buildings collapsing within three to six months after construction,’ he said.
Iwu argued that repeated rehabilitation of poorly executed projects had placed additional financial burdens on incoming governments and diverted resources from other areas, especially human capital development.
‘Unequivocally, I am saying that Senator Hope Uzodimma has saved high financial costs for subsequent governments that will rule Imo State for the next 40 years because of his honesty in constructing roads with standard requirements,’ he said.
The don also cited the International Conference Centre in Owerri as an example of infrastructure projects that reflected the governor’s commitment to conserving public resources.
‘The destruction of the death traps and construction of solid buildings across the State where such death traps were constructed is an obvious confirmation of a government that wants to save huge financial resources for the incoming governments,’ he said.
Iwu further praised Uzodimma’s role in national politics, saying the South-East required strategic engagement at the national level.
He said he was pleased when the governor expressed his intention to return to the Senate, where national resources and policies are shaped through legislative debates.
‘I became extremely happy when he expressed his intention to return to the Upper Chamber in Abuja, where resources of men and nations are allocated through strategic debates,’ he said.
The professor added that Uzodimma’s role in the APC administration should receive support beyond his Orlu Senatorial zone.
‘I have no option but to state that Senator Hope Uzodimma’s role in the government of the APC should be supported not only in Orlu Senatorial zone but across the South East region.
‘Governance is a science, and does not thrive in rhetoric,’ he said.