Imo: Governor Uzodimma inaugurates new board chairmen and members

Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has inaugurated the Interim Board and Management of Heartland Football Club, Imo Specialist Hospital Umuguma, Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA) and Imo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (ISOPADEC) with a charge to members to live above board.

Performing the inauguration ceremony at the Executive Chambers, Government House Owerri, the Governor congratulated them on their appointments and enjoined them to use their positions to selflessly serve the people and make them happy.

He said Imo people have not known happiness during the past administrations and admonished the boards and their management to work hard to take the various establishments and the State to an enviable height, reminding them that their “appointments are coming from God” and not from man.

Representatives of those inaugurated are: Dr. Prosper Ohayara, Chairman, Imo Specialist Hospital Umuguma with Dr. Kaunda Ibebuike as Chief Medical Director (CMD); HRH Eze (Prof.) Dele Amuzienwa Odigbo, Chairman of ISOPADEC with Chief Charles Orie as Managing Director (MD); Dr. Joseph Obinwanne Chinemerem, Chairman of Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA) with Rev. Sis. Kelechi Uzoma as Executive Secretary; and Chief Charles Ezekwem, Chairman, Interim Management Committee of Heartland Football Club with Chief Ifeanyi Chukwudi as General Manager (GM).

Addressing the concerns of each Board and her establishment, the Governor said the Interim Management Board of Heartland FC should commence work immediately, work out the roadmap that will see to its revival and help strengthen the Football Club.

He specifically charged them to make concerted efforts to reposition the Club and bring it back to an enviable height of its past glory.

Addressing the Board of Specialist Hospitals, Governor Uzodimma charged them to work towards restoring people’s confidence in the services of the Hospital, ensure that the core mandate for establishing the hospital is realised and that they work hard to achieve self-funding that is currently lacking.

To Primary HealthCare Board, the Governor appealed to the members to look at the plight of Imo citizens and think of possible ways of reviving and reinvigorating the Primary HealthCare Centres in Imo State to achieve efficiency, effectiveness and functionality.

He regretted a situation where survey and reports from data indicate that all Primary HealthCare Centres in Imo State are all moribund, a situation he said, “has caused the State some avoidable deaths.”

To the Board of ISOPADEC, Governor Uzodimma reminded them that ISOPADEC is highly misunderstood by many as “where people go to share money” and emphasized that “there is no money to share.”

Rather, he said, “every single money that accrues to the establishment must be used to develop the oil producing communities, complete all abandoned projects and effect the necessary changes.” He insisted that, “it is no longer business as usual.”

The Governor who said he was satisfied with the calibre of Chairmen and members of the various Boards and Agencies described all them as grade “A”.

“It is the people with the capacity, those managing the Boards that make it what it is.”

Governor Uzodimma urged them to use their wealth of experience to restore the core mandate of the laws establishing their various agencies, stressing that his administration will always base appointments on merit not minding tribe, religion or language, to ensure those who have the ability to perform and reposition the State are given the opportunity to serve.

The Governor reiterated his administration’s readiness to correct the wrongs done to Imo people by past governments, warning against continuing with “business as usual mentality.”

He promised to resist any person or group of persons who would want to bring down the glory of Imo in any guise, emphasising that “nobody has the monopoly of violence, no one should go to generate violence, and no one can do anything more than Government.”

The Governor reminded the Board members that the current government in Imo State takes the prosperity of the people seriously, hence they should go to their establishments and ensure they “give Imo people prosperity by healing the wounds of the past.”

While praying to God to guide and direct them in their duty, the Governor said he is  not looking for prosperity for himself, rather working for the benefit of Imo people and enjoined the Board and their members to serve the people they represent well.

Earlier while presenting the Board members to the Governor for inauguration, the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Cosmas Iwu, said they are all men and women of proven integrity with the capacity to deliver on their mandate. He prayed the Governor to inaugurate them.

In his acceptance speech on behalf of other Board Chairmen and members, the Chairman of ISOPADEC Board, HRH Eze (Prof.) Onuigbo who is also the traditional ruler of Nkwesi Autonomous Community in Oguta Local Government Area thanked the Governor for finding worthy to serve and promised that they will not disappoint him and Imo people.

He said they will put in their best with their wealth of experience and join hands with the Governor in his 3R mantra agenda of administration to make Imo people happy.