By Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma has said that people of the state were mocked in several quarters across the country before he emerged to stop the son-in-law of the governor from becoming the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

Speaking during the official unveiling of his manifesto in Owerri, Senator Uzodinma stated that it was regrettable that the fortunes of the state were controlled only by one man who pocketed everything and went further to attempt producing the husband of the first daughter as successor.

According to Uzodinma “Imo people were mocked. We were a laughing stock in Abuja where those who knew Okorocha’s plans laughed at us that there are no men in the state to stop the father to son-in-law transition.

Speaking on his programme for the state, Uzodinma, who tagged the manifesto as “A 5-Point blue print for Imo Economic Survival” assured Imo citizens of a better livelihood based on human and capital oriented programmes.

Sympathising with the people the state on the level of hardship and alleged dehumanization which he said the Okorocha government bequeathed to the people, Uzodinma recalled that the state was far better before 2011 but became difficult when the present government introduced stringent administrative policies.

He promised to put in place a civil service structure that will be workers-friendly, adding that there will be prompt payment of salaries, pensions and other statutory obligations.

Emphasising adherence to rule of law, procedures and constitutional guidelines, the APC candidate averred that the role of government was to cater for the welfare of her citizens, and not to send them to their early graves, according to him, as witnessed in the past eight years.

Senator Uzodinma also revealed his plans of establishing an Imo State Education Opportunity Programme (ISEOP), where the state will be transformed into an academic driven economy, as well as accelerating development through manpower development.

“We shall restore Imo state as the nation’s leading center of knowledge and enterprise. For a highly functional and qualitative educational system, our new educational architecture shall focus on science and technology in line with modern digital learning ecosystem of the 21st century”, Uzodinma.

He further promised to produce a new generation of creative enterprising graduates equipped for immediate past school employment and self-reliance.

Commenting on health sector, the guber hopeful promised to enhance primary and secondary health care, pointing out that within the first two years of his administration, they would here attained a 75% Health For All (HEFA), covering the 27 LGAs.

Uzodinma promised to recruit over 850 community health workers to strengthen existing primary health care work force in the state. “In collaboration with a duly elected local government council, we shall rehabilitate, renovate and equip all the dilapidated community health centers in the 305 wards of the state, within the first year in office”, he said.

He opined that the Imo economy, which he described as ‘degraded’, would bounce back within six months of his assumption of office.

Source:- Orientaldailies