By Ogu Bundu Nwadike
By the will and design of God Almighty, there are two major seasons in Nigeria; the rainy and the dry seasons. Vagaries of weather not withstanding, the former rains mostly between April and September of every year, ceteris peribus. The latter, on the other hand, shines between October an outgoing year and March of a new year, ceteris peribus.
Am not an expert in road engineering just as am privileged to know that His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha CON isn’t an expert in road engineering.
Yet, His Excellency was sincerely burdened and bothered by the sufferings of Imo people on Imo roads, and had burning desire to fix grossly dilapidated roads across the State.
Daily, he expressed displeasure and dissatisfaction with the gory experiences of Imo people on absolutely crushed Imo roads.
With that verve and fervour he wanted to start construction of roads as early as his third month in office. That was in August 2019; about the peak of that year’s rainy season!
For his burden and bother, passion and compassion for Imo people, moreover and in his spirit of humility, Governor Ihedioha sought expert advice on whether it was conducive to start work on the roads. He wasn’t Mr. Omniscient! He consulted exhaustively before initiating or implementing any project!
The road engineering experts from NSE and COREN dispassionately discouraged the construction of roads in the rainy season, advising that the best time to do road work was during the dry season.
And for that, Governor Ihedioha accepted the expert advice and tarried till October 2019 when the rains simmered. Then, he promptly unleashed road construction contractors to start massive work on 25 major roads in the State.
The contractors had deployed heavy duty road construction machinery and equipment to the 25 major roads. That was between October and December 2019. Imo People saw them and would always bear Governor Ihedioha witness.
And before full work could commence on the roads, the Supreme Court judgement had made Senator Hope Uzodimma the governor. And that’s where we are today, with Imo roads utterly abandoned, and the sufferings of Imo people on Imo roads have continued.
My point here is that it was in that way that Imo State and Imo people lost a vital dry season and lost a good opportunity to fix major roads across Imo State.
The trouble now is that before the next dry season comes, plus minus, from October 2020, the sufferings of Imo people under the watch of Senator Hope Uzodimma would have increased and multiplied on Orlu-Owerri-Orlu Road, Okigwe-Owerri-Okigwe Road, Mbaise-Owerri-Mbaise Road, Owerri-Aba-Owerri Road, Owerri-Port Harcourt-Owerri Road, and all rural roads in Imo State! Cry beloved State!
It’s believed that as time drags slowly and passes gently, the solemn prayers and great expectations of Imo people for the rebuilding of Imo State and empowerment of Imo people will be granted by God Almighty. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
By God’s grace, Imo State must be rebuilt!
Nwadike, author of Nigeria Worth Dying For, writes from Owerri,