The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has said President Bola Tinubu’s reforms are driving unprecedented infrastructural development and laying the foundation for national progress.

Mr Uzodimma spoke during a dinner organised for the Renewed Hope National Media Tour team at the Government House, Owerri on Friday.

The team, comprising Renewed Hope Ambassadors and officials of the presidential communications, inspected federal and state projects in the state since Wednesday.

Addressing the team, Mr Uzodimma said Mr Tinubu’s policies, particularly the fuel subsidy removal, significantly boosted states allocations and internal revenue.

“The projects you have seen in Imo were only possible because of the reform policies of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Tinubu,” he said.

The governor also revealed that Imo’s monthly internally generated revenue jumped from N400 million to N6 billion.

He added that the state’s massive debt profile plummeted from over N280 billion in 2020 to less than N90 billion currently.

Mr Uzodimma said that the improved allocations were instantly channeled into critical infrastructure to directly benefit the population.

He said extensive road construction reduced intra-state travel times, cutting typical two to three-hour journeys down to less than 45 minutes.

Mr Uzodimma said the energy sector also received a boost via the Orashi Power Plant, advancing electricity generation, transmission, and distribution.

He assured the visiting delegation that the power plant would expand its distribution to additional Local Government Areas by year-end.

The governor said, “In Tinubu, I see another Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore who came to power with strong oppositions but became a reference point, in terms of quality leadership and development.”

Mr Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressives Governors’ Forum, expressed confidence that fellow All Progressives Congress (APC) governors are similarly deploying their increased subsidy revenues to develop their respective states.

“Our people have already decided that they want Tinubu back as president because without him and his policies, this environment we are enjoying today wouldn’t be possible,” he added.

Mr Uzodimma said Mr Tinubu’s reforms since May 2023 as well as APC’s national population exceeding 13 million, serve as a practical campaign for a second term.

He commended the team, reminding them that “there is no democracy without the media” to validate sustainable development.

Earlier, the presidential delegation led by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, commended Mr Uzodimma for his clarity of vision, and commitment to Mr Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Mr Dare also lauded Mr Uzodimma’s strategic leadership of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, which helped expand the party’s reach to an impressive 32 governors nationwide.

Mr Dare said that the bold economic decisions taken since the administration’s inception in May 2023 had defined the positive trajectory of Nigeria’s governance.

He disclosed that the 58-member delegation had already toured the seven states in the North-West, inspecting critical state and federal projects tied to the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Expanding their assessment to the South-East, he said the team previously visited Ebonyi, Enugu, and Abia states to inspect various developmental infrastructure projects.

The presidential aide explained that the team reported directly to the public by running live commentaries and taking real-time photographs while at the project sites.

“We saw quite a number of mind-boggling projects, but when we got to the Imo Digital City, we all took a pause,” Mr Dare said.

He said that the digital hub represents an innovative concept that goes beyond basic brick-and-mortar structures.

He stated, “The facility operates on a public-private partnership model covering cutting-edge artificial intelligence, drone technology, and a telecommunications phone manufacturing sector. This intentional design allows young people in the region to acquire the highly necessary digital skills required to thrive in the 21st century.”

He underscored the need for the APC to actively showcase the governance milestones through its state governors, especially during crucial election seasons.

(NAN)