INSIDE IHEDIOHA'S INAUGURAL SPEECH PART 1

By Aic Akwarandu 

His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON.

The Inauguration May have come and gone but the memories will remain indelible. Among the things that made the Inauguration worthwhile and remarkable was the 1 hour 10 minutes speech delivered by the Brand New Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON. 

His Excellency doing the needful 

Ihedioha’s inaugural speech was factual, realistic and inspiring. The Governor touched all aspect of the State and resonated hope among Ndi Imo. Aside the joyous expressions and excitement by Ndi Imo, the People were sober knowing the level of decay which the State have passed through in the last 8 years. 

The colour of victory

The speech exposed the State of Imo, urging the people to understand that the rebuilding of Imo State is not a mean feat. The task ahead is not an easy one but not insurmountable. Ihedioha showcased knowledge and courage laced with determination and willingness to succeed. 

The ceremony

The Governor ignited the Imo Spirit in Ndi Imo. He ignited the hardworking and sportsmanship spirit. He ignited the supportive and hospitable spirit of Imolites. Indeed Imo shall rise rise again...

Below are some of the Punch Lines in the powerful presentation by the Governor. 

"Ndi-Imo ndi Nwem, it is with great humility and gratitude to God Almighty that I stand here before you today, grateful for the trust and confidence you have bestowed on me and the Deputy Governor, Hon. (Engr.) Gerald Irona, by entrusting the leadership of our dear State to us at this auspicious time in our history.

May I pay tribute to all those who suffered untold hardship, intimidation, violence and loss of life during the campaign period and the elections, your sacrifices will not be in vain. To all those who were involved in the conduct of the elections, I also thank you all, for giving Imo a credible, free and fair election.

Hope at last

Eight years of maladministration, policy inconsistencies and disregard for rule of law destroyed, literally, the foundations laid by our founding fathers, dis-articulated a thriving economy, lowered the educational standards, chased away investors, confiscated people’s lands, expropriated our commonwealth and threw to the dogs our collective esteem. Eight years of bad governance led to a mind-boggling decay of critical public infrastructure; a crippling debt burden without any meaningful infrastructural or institutional developments to show for such a humongous debt. The health sector fared even worse.

The Event

We must tell ourselves the ‘frank truth’ about the state of our State. We cannot play the ostrich pretending that all is well when indeed we are in a deep hole. Imo is broken and the climb out of the depths of despair will be steep, arduous and tortuous. Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious, and they are numerous. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time...

But let no one underestimate our resolve to do what is right for the good of our people. There is nothing wrong with Imo which cannot be cured by all that is right in Imo. Imo State will, as always, endure. Imo will revive. Imo will prosper again. The task of rebuilding our broken State is a sacred one. It must be done. We are armed with the courage of our conviction. We are not captives of fear, for if we were, we would not have dared and if we did not dare, this day would not have come."

To be continued!

Cross section of old Super Eagles of Nigeria and IMO State Entertainers, at the novelty match at Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri, as one of the activities to mark the inauguration of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.