A recent tour of Imo state underscores how the people are benefitting from the ‘necessary’ pains occasioned by the tough decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy upon assuming office in May 2023. ABDULRAHMAN A.ABDULRAUF reports.

“What you have seen is only possible because of the reform policies of the Renewed Hope Agenda. In 2020 January 15th when I was sworn in as governor of this state, the Accountant General told me that they were going for FAAC. He came back from the FAAC meeting, I thought he was going to bring money.

“He told me that after the salary, we had only 100 million Naira. That was what was happening to many states. Immediately May 29th 2023 came, after FAAC, I saw over 10.7 billion (Naira). I said what?

“So when people were trying to oppose the removal of subsidy. I had to put on my belt and jeans, came out and said the subsidy must be removed. So, whatever this man has done to make us have access to funds to help the people, must be sustained. 

“So today, I am indeed very happy and glad that we were able to deploy these resources to visible programmes and projects that our people today are very happy for.”

These were testimonials by Imo state governor Hope Uzodimma while receiving visiting journalists on inspection of projects executed by both the federal and state governments, recently in Owerri and other parts of the state.

The visit was organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA) in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.

Some of the places visited included Orashi Energy Free Trade Zone,  Orashi Power Plant, Orashi Power Distribution Centre, Sam Mbakwe International Airport where expansion work was ongoing, the improved Federal University Teaching Hospital and Alvan Ikoku College of Education, one of the oldest colleges of education in the country recently upgraded to Federal University of Education.

Others were the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre (EIICC), rehabilitated Concorde Hilton Hotel, Imo State House of Assembly Complex and the ongoing Imo State Inland Revenue House.

Similarly, the team also visited the site of the life-threatening erosion point in Umuchima, Ideato South local government area. The location is close to Ogboko, the home village of former Governor Rochas Okorocha.

Mere seeing this particular project tells the massiveness of what goes into it in terms of funding and work done. The features of this multi-billion naira legacy project involves slope stabilisation, massive filling, and the complete rebuilding of the bridge across the Orashi River to reconnect and  rescue communities that had been cut off for years.

While the massive erosion-control project reconnects communities, the Imo Digital City Limited (IDCL), a privately-owned tech ecosystem, caught the fancy of the newshounds. The project, with the state government equity, is an initiative of  the Uzodimma administration, located  in Owerri.

It is described as one of the most consequential investments undertaken by the administration.

…Emelumba explains

Addressing the team, Imo state commissioner for information, public orientation and strategy, Declan Emelumba, highlighted the partnership between the state and the federal governments as reason for the modest accomplishments, which according to him, had impacted the people positively.

Speaking specifically on the state government’s gain from the  federal government’s education agenda, Emelumba said, “Several administrations governed Imo state before now, but none was able to accomplish what Governor Hope Uzodimma has achieved.

“One notable example is the Alvan Ikoku College of Education, one of the oldest Colleges of Education in the country and one of the six institutions upgraded to Federal Universities of Education.

“Previous administrations attempted to secure the upgrade but were unsuccessful. We are delighted that it was achieved under Governor Uzodimma and even happier that the federal government’s intervention has created employment opportunities. The conversion has brought numerous benefits to the state and we are grateful to the federal government for approving the upgrade.”

At the digital city

Speaking to journalists at the digital city, the commissioner for digital economy and E-government, Dr Chimezie Amadi described the initiative as Uzodimma’s signature investments targeted at empowering young people through technology and innovation.

The facility, he said, was put in place as an innovation hub and digital entrepreneurship outfit to produce the nation’s  next generation of technology professionals and entrepreneurs.

Prettily sitting within the facility is the digital device assembly plant where trainees and technicians delightfully assemble smartphones, feature phones, tablets, routers and monitors under the ‘ImoSys’ brand.

Blueprint gathered that the plant which operates morning and night shifts, boasts of the capacity to assemble up to 1,000 phones daily, using components sourced from different parts of the world, and sold within Imo and in other parts of the country.

So far, Amadi said that, “Over 75,000 youths have been trained through the state’s Skill Up Imo programme in digital skills ranging from basic digital literacy to software engineering, cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics and Internet of Things.”

Several products of the centre, the commissioner said, have secured employment, launched startups or providing digital solutions for businesses and government agencies.

“We are also promoting indigenous manufacturing of digital technology equipment as the facility had drastically reduced dependence on imported finished devices just as it helps build local technical capacity.”

Also at the centre are laboratories for robotics, drone technology and artificial intelligence where trainees are tutored on how to build robots, write software codes and operate drones.

According to Amadi, “The entire world is moving towards digitisation and automation. Government intends to create a smart economy that would drive digital governance, innovation and job creation.”

Impacts

On the impacts of the project, the commissioner said it is multifaceted, “It’s helping to stimulate the economy, make it stronger. In terms of job creation, we are taking our youth off the streets because of the impact of this particular city that you’re seeing. And this is also helping the education sector. We have built a lot of solutions that have made education easy, accessible, affordable and it now provides a lot of convenience. So, you will see some of those products. So, the impact is multifaceted.” 

Explaining how it is run, he said “This place is a creation of a public-private partnership; it’s not just Imo state government. Imo state government is a partner in the venture. We have University of California, Berkeley, that is also a partner in terms of providing the technical support for advanced learning and the curriculum development that runs this place. We also have a body called United State Market Assets. It’s also based in Silicon Valley.

“They are a partner in terms of providing the technology that we are also using. Cisco is a partner here. They provide a lot of support in terms of pedagogicals that we need or use.

“So, because we have modelled this through a public-private partnership, it has guaranteed the sustainability of the place. In terms of maintaining it, instead of running the programme, the private partners are bringing the funding. In fact, with Imo state, this programme or this project attracted a $15 million investment from all these partners I’m talking about.”

Further benefits

On further benefits, the chief executive officer and founder of TEMSCONSU, Valentine Waturuocha, said companies operating within the Digital City are already deploying drones, robotics and artificial intelligence to address security challenges and others in the telecommunications, logistics and infrastructure management.

“We deploy drones, robotics and artificial intelligence in security surveillance and a wide range of other areas,” he said.

Waturuocha said his company is into drone technology that could support security operations in the area of detecting concealed weapons from the air, assuring this would soon be demonstrated publicly.

“One of the reasons mobile networks experience disruptions is the challenge of monitoring towers. Instead of sending people to climb the towers, drones can inspect them and report faults in real time,” said the TEMSCONSU boss.

According to him, the same technology can also be deployed for mapping, delivery services and logistics, making operations faster and more efficient.

Presidency lauds efforts

In his comments, the senior special assistant on media and special duties to the president, Tunde Rahman,  described the growing number of infrastructure and development projects in the state as a manifestation of the positive results from the fuel subsidy removal.

Rahman, who is the director of media and publicity of the RHA said, “From all the projects we have seen so far, we can confirm the beauty and significance of states being in alignment with the centre for the purpose of development.

“We can see that Governor Hope Uzodimma has executed essentially federal government projects. He is doing it to support the federal government in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Rahman argued that the subsidy removal was a carefully considered policy, saying funds freed from the programme were now being channelled into projects with direct economic and social benefits.

“It also shows that the removal of subsidy is a well-thought-out decision. The governors of the states the Renewed Hope Ambassador Media Tour has visited have confirmed that making funds available has helped them to implement projects. If the full benefits have not come to some states till now, they will come in no distant time,” he further added.  

 In a similar commendation, special adviser to the president on public communications, Sunday Dare specifically lauded the governor for fixing the collapsed and long-abandoned Orlu-Mgbee-Akokwa-Uga damaged by gully erosion.

“This road has a history. Three governors, prior to Uzodimma, made every effort to fix this road, especially the stretch where we are now, with the massive reclamation, diversion of the river and concrete bridge being built.

“The entire Imo side was completely cut off, the Imo-Abia section cut off from Anambra. Now, what we saw is 80 percent completion of a 31 kilometres stretch road,” Dare said.

On what the people stand to gain from the infrastructure, he said this, without any iota doubt, “would have massive economic implications from the positive point of view for the South-east region. We can see what has been done with the reclamation. We can see the quality of the road. We can also see the concrete media, the street lights from Orlu to this place.”

The team also visited the  ANOH Gas Processing Company (AGPC), a private sector initiative located in Assah, Ohaji/Egbema local government area of  the state.

The company, which is currently doing between 130 million and 170 million of its  300 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd), also aimed to achieve a zero-level gas flaring in no distant time.

Briefing the team, the general manager (Operation) in charge of the AGPC plant, Engr Nwogbe Amaechi, said the company has also impacted the state in several ways.

“The company created thousands of direct and indirect jobs during construction, stimulated road, pipeline and utility infrastructure development, increased opportunities for local contractors and host communities and expanded corporate social responsibility initiatives, including community development and security infrastructure, among others.”

In a summary of the visit, Governor Uzodimma, who also doubles as the director general of RHA, told his guests, “You have come to Imo not to campaign for our people. You have come to Imo to see what we have been able to achieve. Our people have already decided. That they want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu back as the president because without him, his policies and programmes, this environment we are enjoying today would have been very impossible to achieve.”