26th August, 2023
Civil servants in Imo State have resolved to re-elect Governor Hope Uzodimma on November 11, as they applauded the governor for giving attention to their welfare.
The resolve to reelect Governor Uzodimma was communicated to him on Friday when he paid a working visit to the Imo State Secretariat on Port Harcourt Road Owerri.
Governor Uzodimma, after commissioning the newly renovated walk ways to the 10 blocks of offices at the Secretariat, told the civil servants he will not take their support for granted.
Head of Service, Barr. Raymond Ucheoma described the Governor as godsend.
“You are a messiah personified,” he said.
According to him, Imo civil servants will forever remain grateful to the Governor for the numerous things they have enjoyed under his tenure such as mass promotion of workers, 13th month salary payment, free transportation, free medical treatment, regular payment of salary, conducive work environment, training and retraining of workers, among others.
“Our joy is rooted on the fact that Your Excellency has a Midas hand, in which whatever it touches changes for good.
“We are therefore indeed very grateful that our dear indefatigable workaholic Governor found time out of his busy schedule to visit the factory and milling machine of government policies in the State.
“We are grateful for the N30, 000 minimum wage already being paid to Imo State workers, the National Health Insurance Scheme which Your Excellency introduced for the workers, the increased minimum wage of N40, 000 and one meal per day which Your Excellency recently announced for workers in Imo State to cushion the biting effect of the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria.
The civil servants who intermittently interjected Barr. Ucheoma’s speech with solidarity songs for the Governor collectively resolved to return the Governor to office come November 11, 2023 so that they will continue to enjoy the benefits of his people-oriented welfare policies and programmes.
The Chairman Civil Service Commission, Lady (Dr.) Julie Onyeukwu, the Chairman Local Government Service Commission, Mrs. Rosemary Izuogu, the Chairman House of Assembly Service Commission, Barr. Lambert Orisakwe and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transport, Mr. Ogunsanya Abimbola, all acknowledged the Governor’s magnanimity to the civil servants, expressing their appreciation and preparedness to reelect him come November 11, 2023.
Governor Uzodimma who acknowledged the support of the Civil Servants to his administration, said it was their support that encouraged him to fulfil all he promised them in 2020 when he assumed office, and the desire to do more.
He refreshed their memory on the things he promised to do such as to reinvigorate and restore the dignity of Civil Service, to restore the years Civil Servants lost to the locust by way of regular payment of salary and benefits, to give the Civil Servants a comfortable environment to carry out their works, all of which he has delivered.
Governor Uzodimma reminded them that he had even gone ahead to do things he did not promise such as payment of 13th month salary. “I want to tell you that I will still do more.”
He told them of his plans to increase the number of buses to the civil servants next week and noted that he “cares for civil servants and always want the best for them.”
Earlier on arrival at the secretariat, the Governor commissioned walk way, visited some blocks housing the Civil Service/Local Government Service Commission/Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Ministry of Works and that of Transport and Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Statistics as well the Office of the Head of Service.
The Deputy Governor Prof Placid Njoku, the Secretary to Imo State Government, Chief Cosmos Iwu, the Chief of Staff Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie, Commissioners, Special Adviser and other top government officials attended the event.