The minority party in Imo State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and their governorship candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Samdaddy), are once more behaving true to type. With Samdadday having no verifiable achievements, the PDP is browbeaten and forced to eat the humble pie. But rather than show humility and atone for its misgovernance, the party is displaying its trademark high horse posture. Thus, Imo people witnessed another display of shenanigan from Samdadday and his cohorts over the visionary, far-sighted, pragmatic and far-reaching decision of the Godsent Governor Hope Uzodimma to facilitate foreign jobs for 4,000 of the 20,000 Imo youths already equipped with digital skills by the Government. We have since noted that the PDP and their paranoid, battle-weary leadership do not like the progress of Imo people. Is that not why they cheer those terrorizing the state but scuff at the security agencies and the state government each time they launch a pushback in the line of duty?

The essence of government is to serve the people. When the people elect a government, like Imo people elected the Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma as governor, they surrender their powers to the government. In turn, the government applies the powers to serve them. That way, the people rejoice, like when the righteous is on the throne as it is in Imo right now. But the PDP, a party that was privileged to produce the governor of the state for eight years (1999-2007), gets angry that Imo is prospering under the Hope of Imo, Governor Hope Uzodimma.

It Is, therefore, not shocking that the PDP is exhibiting its trademark sadness, this time around on the pragmatic, impactful 4,000 overseas jobs for Imo youths. The PDP exhibits this legendary attitude each time good things happen to Imo as they have always happened since 2020 when Uzodimma became governor. This time around, the PDP is angry that the governor has concluded plans to facilitate overseas jobs for 4,000 digitally skilled Imo youths. We do not understand the bad-belle from the PDP, but we are not surprised.

In October 2022, the governor announced that his administration was partnering the FG for the dredging of the Oguta Lake/Orashi River to create access to the Atlantic Ocean by opening up the two major waters that served as economic route during the colonial era. With oil and gas free trade zone, this lofty programme has the potential to transform the economy of not just Imo State but the entire Southeast, and there is no end to the quantum of good things that will happen to Imo people and the Southeast when the project is up and running. But rather than applaud the governor, the PDP suffers seizures and foam at the mouth.

The anti Imo people position of the PDP on the project is in spite of all other positions, including the position of the FG. The former vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, said during the flag-off of the project on March 11, 2023, that the project had the blessing of the president. He said: “It gives me great pleasure to join you at this historic flag-off of the Hydrographic Survey and Dredging of the proposed Sea Route from Oguta Lake-Orashi-Degema to the Atlantic Ocean. This project is a vital collaboration between the state government, the Nigerian Navy, and a consortium of technical partners. It was initiated, approved, and set in motion under the stewardship of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Hope Uzodimma.”

Osinbajo recalled that, “As far back as 1914, the British, understanding its strategic importance in connecting the hinterlands to the coast, utilized this route to facilitate the smooth export of products such as palm oil, timber, and coal, from Oguta and its neighbouring regions. The route has always been a vital component of our nation’s potential for increased trade and economic prosperity… Today, we aim to revive this once vibrant and economically strategic channel, furthering job creation and sustainable growth in Imo State and the entire Southeast region. By enhancing coastal connectivity and facilitating seamless transportation, the project will promote trade and investment, spur growth in multiple sectors including shipping, manufacturing, and agriculture, and offer numerous opportunities for the people…But the good news doesn’t end there. The president, only a few days ago, granted Governor Hope Uzodimma’s request to declare Oguta/Ohaji/Egbema and its environs as an oil and gas free trade zone. This proposed free trade zone has one of the largest hydrocarbon deposits in the country. Again, this is another clear winner. The synergy between the dredged sea route and the free trade zone will deliver enormous commercial benefits.”

It was expected that the PDP would eat its words and apologise after it heard from the FG. Rather than apologise, the party moved on to yet another issue, the takeover of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education and the conversion and upgrading of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri. But the FG once more fed them the humble pie. “Again, on the governor’s application and his request, the President approved the complete takeover of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, as well as the conversion and upgrading of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri to a teaching hospital for training doctors by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri”, said Osinbajo.

In June 2021, the Uzodimma administration came up with yet another youth empowerment programme. As part of its plans to empower the youths and address the perennial challenges of job creation and unemployment in the state, the government set out to empower 15,000 Imo youths with N250,000 each as start-up capital after they had earlier been trained in fish farming, hairdressing, barbing and tailoring, etcetera. “We are taking a practical step in the actualisation of our prosperity agenda. Our Shared Prosperity programme is not just a mantra but a manifestation of our resolve to empower Imo People, particularly the youths, not only economically but also politically. The only guarantee that the youths of today can truly be the leaders of tomorrow is by ensuring that they are empowered today so that tomorrow they can be economically strong to assert themselves as leaders. We understand clearly that our future as a nation and as a state, lies in the quality of youths we have today, we are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that we secure the future for our youths, by providing for their today,” the governor said while explaining the importance of the Programme.

By this programme alone, the Uzodimma administration was injecting fresh billions of Naira into the state economy. But the PDP described the milestone as fraudulent.

Last year, the government launched the Skill-Up Imo Project aimed at training and equipping Imo youths with digital skills. As of the last count, the Skill-Up Imo Project has graduated 20,000 Imo youths, with the target to train 300,000. As usual, the PDP went to town with negative tales to discourage Imo youths from participating in the project by labelling it a fraud. Ashamed that the Skill-Up Imo Project has recorded tremendous success and the governor has brought in a new dimension hitherto unknown, which is the 4,000 overseas jobs, the PDP has once more gone to town with its tales of delusion.

Sadly, Samdadday, in a statement on Friday, September 29, 2023, said the 4,000 overseas job is “another big scam” and “another big joke taken too far”. He argued that since Governor Hope Uzodimma was not “a President of one of the European countries, or in control of the countries’ Personnel Department”, he could not have negotiated overseas jobs for Imo youths, talk more of 4,000 of them. How lame! He adds; “Regrettably, Uzodinma is neither an European citizen, Director of personnel nor in agreement with any European or Canadian government to secure such job opportunity for Nigerian youths of such magnitude in a foreign land.” Once more, how lame! All over Nigeria, particularly in Imo State, there are “expatriates” doing some work, and the companies that engaged them did not secure any employment deal with the state government. How come our own governor cannot facilitate jobs for our people overseas?

Samdaddy’s opposition to the novel 4,000 overseas jobs has once more exposed his underbelly and his anti Imo youths posture. It has more than anything else exposed his incompetence, shortsightedness, and rendered him as the most unfit to be the governor of Imo State.

Does Samdadday not know that the World Bank says that the digital economy makes up more than 15% of the global GDP and has grown 2.5 times faster over the previous ten years than the GDP of the physical world? The digital economy is expected to grow tremendously and contribute 30% to the global GDP and create 30 million jobs by 2030. In Malaysia alone, the digital economy stands as one of the country's foremost economic cornerstones, contributing a substantial 23.2% to the nation’s GDP, or RM348 billion in the year 2021. This contribution is expected to reach 25.5% by the year 2025. Armed with digital skills, therefore, Imo youths are prepared to contribute to stimulating development in a number of areas. With the USA and China serving as the largest digital economy in the world, getting overseas jobs for Imo youths in the world’s largest digital economies is a great feat.

Interestingly, as if they were rebuking Samdadday for his anti Imo youths stand, Imo youths conferred on the governor the “TECH Governor of the YEAR” award. The award was bestowed on him at the government house, Owerri, when the graduating students of the second batch of the Skill-Up Imo Project visited the government house in a thank-you, solidarity march. The award, therefore, means that Imo youths are solidly behind the governor, and they are so appreciative of him because he has done for them what Napoleon could not do.

•Collins Ughalaa, KSC, is Special Adviser (Public Communications) to the governor

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