~Governor Uzodimma speaking about Nkwerre LGA

*IMO STATE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT*

*"It is a Local Government that other local governments go to, in search of wisdom and knowledge"*

*"I will govern by the fear of God and not the fear of man"*

*"You cannot welcome a landlord to his own house*

*~Governor Uzodimma speaking about Nkwerre LGA*

I just have to welcome you because this is Government House.  If not, I will not say welcome because you cannot welcome a landlord to his own house. 

We know our history. We know how and where we started. Nkwerre  Local Government is distinguished not only because of politics but because history favours you. 

History favored you and this is a Local Government that represents the cradle of modern civilization. 

It is a local government that other local governments go to in search of wisdom and knowledge. You are a role model to other local governments. And you know it that we know ourselves. 

I do not expect Nkwerre Local Government to come here and remind me of the roads that have not been tarred or water that is not functioning. Let me ask , what is it that you want to tell me that I don't know? 

I do not want us to be seen to be a people making applications to ourselves. Who will process the application? 

It is a fact that we've been together like speaker after speaker have said. Since it is true, it means that I should know the problems of Nkwerre. So since it is true that I know the problems of Nkwerre, we now have to look for a way to solve those problems. 

You can't spend the whole time telling me about the bad roads in your Local Government. I know about the roads. 

Part of the reasons why all of us came out aggressively in pursuit of this position is because at a time, some people wanted Nkwerre  to come last instead of being the first. 

Everything that united me, and whatever made me to earn your support was based on general interest; it was not an individual interest and when I knelt down to ask God to help me become the Governor of Imo State, I swore to him in a covenant that if I become the Governor, I will use the position for the people and not for myself. 

Now God has made me the Governor. He has done his own part. It is now left for me to do my own part. Let no man make me violate that covenant. 

If I have my way I will even give more appointment from this Local Government. At a time in Nkwerre, some people were mocking me and my followers - but because I'm a man of God, I believe that justice equity and fair-play should drive our program. 

So those internal roads is the least that a community and Local Government that produced a Governor should get. 

Even if I renovate your General Hospital, it will not be enough. 

The truth of the matter is that there is no difference between my own local government and your own. All I ask is that we must work as a family. We are one family we can justify fighting when we are struggling, we can justify hate when we are not together. We can accuse ourselves of one form of acrimony, grievance or the other. 

So I ask, why are we struggling to get to a destination now that God has answered our prayer?

Now that God answered and we now have a Governor, are we supposed to live in the past anymore? We should forget the past. Let us learn how to show love to our brothers and sisters. 

Whatever that is given to your brother is given to you because it must be one person at a time. 

Now you have forgotten where we are coming from.  Remember, Imo State was bleeding and our people were complaining. 

I came here just a year and few months ago and I saw Imo State in a cemetery and I exhumed the body. We are now at how to animate the body to see if we can have life. 

On seeing this, our enemies started creating distractions. There is no how anybody will plan to be a Governor without knowing that when you become a Governor, you will have people to fight and people to love - so you go in prepared ready to fight and to love 

If the left hand brings fight you right.  If  the right hand brings you love you love. 

I know the reason why many are angry. Remember this table where I am is quite higher than where you are. So from here I see everything that is happening where you are. So please you should bear with me.

You know in Nigeria today, there are two groups of people. Nigeria is like a polygamous family. If your mother is loved by your father then you are a beloved child but if your mother is not loved by your father then you are a tolerated child. 

Most times we tolerate, most times we are beloved. Because of these, my eyes are clear and I don't want to fall into any temptation.The principal thing I want to achieve here is to serve the people and return power back to the people. It doesn't matter to me if it is one year that I stayed here as a governor.

The truth is that I will govern by the fear of God and not the fear of Man. 

In 2003 you were there when I ran for governorship election, under AD and you supported me. In 2007, I ran for the governorship election under PDP and your Local Government supported me. Now in 2019 I ran for governorship and you supported me. 

So all the time that I never won anything, you were all there with me giving me your undying support, so now that I have one, do you have any reason not to be with me? The truth is that if I want to run another election, you will still give me your support. 

So when you are not happy about one request or the other if you go home ask your conscience. This my request, is it godly or not? If its godly and I refuse to do it then let my conscience judge me. However, if your request is something that will contravene  the oath of office taken by me then it means that you're not wishing me well. 

I know that even in a family, we have sibling rivalry, because brothers quarrel among themselves and they also disagree but it is always good that after your disagreement - its important you agree. Remember nothing last forever. 

You all know me, I did not become a Governor as a poor man. Yet, I am not richer than the state like other people will boast. The truth is that I am not interested in being richer than anybody, not to talk of our state.

I don't care if other local governments attack me tomorrow; you have to understand, because you people were there for me, and one important thing is that, I do not forget those who were there for me when I needed them. 

This is why every Nkwerre man that meets me with one greviance or the other, I try to make peace.

Most times our people fight over what they don't need. You have something big and you don't want another person to get something small and yet we are from the same place. 

God is my witness that I came here prepared and if we have the time and the resources, there will be no reason for anybody to be angry unless for the greedy ones.

The truth is that we have enough space to accommodate everyone. 

I have had reasons to interact with some traditional rulers before this time and I have always said it loud and clear that our people should organise themselves. 

You talked about climbing the Iroko tree and fetching the firewood  but remember climbing the Iroko tree is not only by coming to the government house. 

Now that I am a Governor it is an Iroko tree that we have climbed. 

Please go home and plan how we are collectively going to use this position. 

You have to know that the man in authority is almost the most loneliest man on earth because he is always besieged with different problems of the people that he may not even have time for himself. But if you help me to organise our place then the barrier is almost off. I will not be the footballer to score goal and then still be the one to man the post. 

When we all do what's our obligation, we go home on time. 

So if you try and allow the fear of God dwell in us, without offending every serious interest and follow this Godgiving opportunity we will achieve a lot. 

Even the people who have been working with me and the people who haven't been working with me and a host of other people who work in the Government House are all surprised. They keep asking themselves why is this local Government's visitation different from others? 

The truth is that your visit is different from all I have seen. It goes to show you that these are a people that came with love. I can set up a shop. I can set up a business with all you have given me as gift today. 

Honestly I am happy that you showed this level of love and you have continued to show this love and have trusted me. 

One more thing, I want you to know, I will never disappoint every reasonable expectations of yours, but please let no man deceive anybody. Remember no one can stop any one of you here from getting what he or she is supposed to get. Unless I don't have the person's phone number because immediately I go through activities and it is what SOKOM can do I'll have to call him directly.

If I still move ahead and it gets to what another person can do, I will just have to call that person directly. 

Nobody can dictate to me what anyone get. This is because we don't do all we do to please man but to please God before pleasing anybody. 

So we are going to restore Imo State to the best of our ability. I do not care about propaganda and the ugly news on social media. 

The truth is that even the blind will see the projects that Hope Uzodimma has done in Owerri. Anybody that refuses to recognise our giant stride in projects, then that person might not see again.