The Presidency has stated that Nigerians will soon begin to see the full benefits of the reforms embarked upon by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s administration, stressing that the initial pains will give way to long-term gains.
Mr. Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Director of Media and Publicity, made the remarks on Wednesday during the Renewed Hope Ambassadors Media Tour by members of the Presidential Communications Team to Imo State, in continuation of the trip to showcase the federal and state governments’ landmark projects across the South-East geopolitical zone.
Speaking after inspecting projects in the state, Mr. Rahman said the successful execution of projects in Imo State, including the university upgrade and improvements to a federal teaching hospital, demonstrates the “beauty and significance” of a state aligning with the federal government for development purposes.
Rahman commended Governor Uzodimma for undertaking projects that support the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, especially educational initiatives like NELFUND, which ensures indigent students have access to affordable education, preventing them from abandoning school due to financial constraints.
“From all the projects that we have seen so far, you will see the beauty, the significance of states to be in alignment with the center for the purpose of development,” he said.
“What you saw there was an upgrade of the federal teaching hospital. And like the honourable commissioner said, it has provided employment to people. But more importantly, you also notice that Governor Hope Uzodimma has been doing projects that are essentially federal government projects. He says that he needs to support the federal government in line with the Renewed Hope agenda.
“So, this is the first day in Imo State. I hope that we go out to see more of these projects, more of this partnership for the development of our country. Like he also said earlier, there is NELFUND. And then for students that have been enjoying NELFUND, they no longer need to abandon school simply because their parents cannot afford all the education.
“So, I think that, like I said, the government has shown clearly that they are working together. So, you see a lot of good things.”
On the removal of fuel subsidy, Mr. Rahman, who doubles as Director of Media and Publicity, Renewed Hope Ambassadors, said the policy was deliberate and well thought out.
“It shows clearly that the government is a thinking government and that the idea of the removal of subsidy was well thought out,” he stated.
“Normally when you have reforms like that, it will be painful in the beginning, but ultimately, everybody will see the beauty, the gains of those reforms. As we have seen, whether in the North where we went to the other day when we started, or in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and the one that we visited, all the governors were telling us there will be more money for them, more space for them to be able to implement other developments.
“So with that policy, the full benefit has not come up. It will come.”
Speaking during the inspection, the Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Mr. Declan Emelumba, said the projects were the dividends of the strong partnership between the Federal Government and the Imo State Government.
He noted that the expansion of the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport is designed to transform the facility into a major logistics and export hub, with eight modern warehouses for storage and cargo handling expected to boost agricultural exports, commerce and investment in the South-East.
According to the commissioner, several of the landmark projects were financed by the Imo State Government through the expanded fiscal space available to subnational governments following the economic reforms of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
“This is Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education. This place used to be Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri, previously owned by the state. Now, the Federal Government has upgraded it to a university less than a year ago.
“What is important here is not just that it has been upgraded, It’s a project that has been dear to every government that has ruled Imo State but none was able to accomplish it because this is one of the oldest Federal Government Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
“I think they said there were about six in the country. Almost all of them had been converted to Federal University of Education. So every government in Imo struggled to get it converted but couldn’t realize it until the coming of Governor Hope Uzodimma. And this was realized less than a year ago,” he said.
Emelumba said the project had generated significant employment opportunities for Imo people and had also attracted TETFund projects.
The commissioner also explained that the enhanced funding has enabled Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration to accelerate infrastructure development while complementing federal interventions across critical sectors, including transportation, healthcare and education.
He pointed out that the achievements also demonstrated the shared development vision of President Tinubu and Governor Uzodimma, whose administrations are working in synergy to deliver sustainable development and improve the quality of life for Nigerians.
The Renewed Hope Ambassadors and members of the Presidential Communications Team on Wednesday inspected a number of strategic federal and state government projects in Imo State.
The national media tour, an initiative of the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team, is aimed at providing Nigerians with firsthand information on the implementation of key federal and state governments’ infrastructure projects across the country, while promoting transparency, accountability and public awareness of ongoing development initiatives.
The delegation, which included members of the Presidential Communications Team and over 40 senior journalists, toured the completed 56-kilometre Okigwe–Owerri Road, the 36-kilometre Owerri–Obowo–Umuahia Road, and the ongoing upgrade and construction of the standard runway at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport.
Other projects inspected were the newly-upgraded Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, now upgraded to a Federal University of Technology, as well as the Federal Medical Centre Owerri, upgraded to the Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Owerri.
