*IMO STATE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT*

ENGINEERING HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FOR IMO YOUTHS – The Governor Hope Uzodimma Example.

By: Prince Eze Ugochukwu.

Human capital is described as “the bundle of information, skills, and talents individuals build for personal well-being and economic productivity“.

Here in Imo State, significant gains has been recorded in the area of enhancing the knowledge base of Imo youths which will in turn make them self reliant and economically productive.

In 2022, the Imo State Governor,  Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma established a new Ministry of Digital Economy and E-government thus becoming the first governor in Nigeria to do so.

Digital economy is a collective term used in describing all economic transactions that occur on the internet. It can simply be defined as the Web Economy or the Internet Economy

With the swearing in of Dr. Chimezie Amadi, a PhD holder in Entrepreneurship  Development who served as a Director with the Nigerian Communications Commission as the pioneer Commissioner, the new Ministry quickly hit the ground running.

First was the encapsulation of the Imo Digital Economy Agenda (IDEA)
which Dr. Amadi described as a policy document put together, and formulated to communicate to  stakeholders what the government intend to do in order to actualize the dream of digitizing the Imo economy.

The IDEA agenda is anchored on six pillars. The first pillar is digital literacy and skills, the second pillar is what is call solid infrastructure, the third pillar is the soft infrastructure, the fourth pillar is advocacy, the fifth is monitoring and evaluation and the last pillar is collaboration and partnership.

While flagging off the Skill-Up Imo Project in 2022, Governor Uzodimma made it very clear that his government sees the digital training of Imo State youths as a very serious business. The Skill-Up Imo Project, is a project specifically designed to provide free training and support to100,000 Imolites, particularly the youths in new innovative, and economically viable skills needed for them to be productively employed or self employed.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Hope Uzodimma charged the youths to be patient and submit themselves to the opportunities offered through the digital skills training.

“I want to assure you that we are here for a very serious business, and Imo State Government is committing a lot of money to be able to make sure that you are gainfully employed ” the Governor told the youths.

He admonished them not to play politics with the training program, as the program is not about politics, ” This is about bringing up our youths to be gainfully employed, because it is under this kind of atmosphere that Imo State will be peaceful, our economy stable and you’ll become role models to the upcoming ones”

“Crime will be reduced, idleness will be reduced, and you will be more focused, and your tomorrow will be brighter” he told them.

The Governor urged graduates to come forward and participate, stating that being a graduate is not all that matters in todays world.

He said that, “Even in the advanced world, after graduation, you are meant to go to Finishing School, so I urge all of you who have graduated to use this as your own Finishing School”.

While pleading with the youths to gain skills literacy from any of the courses available, the Governor told them, “No car owner gives his vehicle to a driver without driving licence…If you want to make digital money and be part of the digital economy, you must have a “licence”, and this is the opportunity for you – So be patient, submit yourselves for the number of days you will stay here, to get a licence so that you can drive”.

Now, the first batch of 5,000 trainees are ready for graduation, equipped with top digital skills for the new world ecosystem pivoted on knowledge economy.

In an earlier engagement with the Imo State Public Enlightenment Unit, the Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-government, Dr. Chimezie Amadi gave an insight about those conducting the training programs. According to him,”The trainers were drawn from the Indusrty and Academia.They include techprenuers from the IMO  startup community with track records in providing industry 4.0 skillset trainings for Google, Facebook, Mastercard , Ford foundation, Microsoft etcetera. Other trainers include academics from higher institutions in IMO State with qualifications in relevant fields that make up the digital economy ecosystem”.

Only recently, technology giants, Zinox Technologies and their sister company Konga visited Imo State where they conducted succesful interviews for interested Skill-Up Imo Project students to join their company as digital marketers.

With changes in the global economy  occasioned by rapid technological innovations, the need for human capital development of Imo youths to be able to adapt and keep pace with the rapidly shifting global system is what motivated His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma to establish the Imo State Ministry of Digital Economy and E-government.

By providing the knowledge, skills and abilities needed by Imo youths to become self employed, self reliant  and by improving their job opportunities, Uzodimma is indeed, a change agent and a change maker.

Eze Ugochukwu is the Special Adviser to Imo State Governor on Public Enlightenment.

IMO STATE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT

10th February 2023.

AMBASSADOR GEORGE OBIOZOR BURIED TODAY.

“I cannot imagine that George Obiozor can die – Honestly speaking, death is wicked, very very wicked” ~ Governor Hope Uzodimma, speaking at the Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri during the funeral Mass for late Ambassador George Obiozor.

“My heart is so heavy – The Igbo race has lost a gem, Nigeria has lost a star – We have lost a man that can best be described as a global encyclopedia” ~ Hope Uzodimma.

The Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma today joined other mourners to bid final farewell to His Excellency, Ambassador George Obiozor.

Ambassador George Obiozor was until his death, the President General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo Worldwide, the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo people.

At the funeral mass held at the Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, Governor Uzodimma described the late Ambassador George Obiozor as “one of our best and brightest” whose death has left a vacuum that can never be filled”.

To the bereaved family, Governor Uzodimma encouraged them to take heart and remain calm bearing in mind that the almighty God knows everything and if we believe in Him, all our problems will be solved.

While thanking all those who made out time to attend, the Governor left a word of advice saying that, “We may have our differences, we may have disagreed in the past, but the best thing that can be giving to a man like George Obiozor is to give him the last respect, the honour of giving him a very befitting burial”.

“I can never imagine that George Obiozor can die, – Honestly speaking, death is wicked, very very wicked”, Uzodimma stated.

He eulogized the late Ambassador, calling him a rare gem, a star, and a global encyclopedia.

The burial mass and internment at Awommama, Oru East LGA, was attended by dignitaries from across the nation and top ranking government officials, traditional rulers and members of the clergy.

IMO STATE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT

Political Pyromaniacs -The Extremists And Deceptives

By: Prince Eze Ugochukwu

It is another political season in Imo State, and we are witnessing a new phenomenon of political Pyromania.

Some politicians has gone mad again.

“Pyromania is a psychiatric condition. Pyromania is a type of impulse control disorder that is characterized by being unable to resist starting fires. People with pyromania know that setting fires is harmful. But setting fires is the only way they can relieve their built-up tension, anxiety, or arousal. They feel satisfaction or relief after they set a fire”.

“Pyromania is part of a group of disorders called disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders. These disorders cause people to be aggressive towards people or property. They are extremists and very deceptive.

“If you have one of these disorders you may have a hard time controlling your emotions and behavior”

The actions of a person with pyromania is mainly driven for a type of gain, like money, for ideological reasons, to express anger or vengeance, to cover up another criminal act or to improve one’s circumstances ,for instance, getting insurance money to buy a better house or even for political advantage.

Here in Imo State, we have seen recent home fires followed by induced media outpourings from
Pyromaniac politicians.

A Pyromaniac politician is a politician who gets a thrill out of setting people up against each other, often as regards and in response to people and issues in their locality.

The Political Pyromaniac may take a posting or email message and forward or copy it to another person, knowing that it will cause a virulent reaction.

The Political Pyromaniac
essentially likes to set fires and stand back and watch the ensuing fireworks or explosion.

In 2021, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn did not hold back in his criticism of President Donald Trump over the siege at the Capitol. He went ahead to describe Trump as a criminal, a political pyromaniac who should be sent to criminal court.

The question is; Are we witnessing the same criminal acts from political pyromaniacs here in Imo State.

Of recent, what is occurring in Imo State does not resemble our past nor does it augur well for our present and future. Are some politicians adopting political pyromania as a means to express anger or vengeance, to cover up another criminal act or to improve one’s circumstances ,for instance, getting insurance money to buy a better house or even for political advantage. ?

The picture emerging and reports, indicate an organised network that enable, facilitate and exploit opportunities for political gain, clearly meant to gain unfair advantage using coercive methods.

The government has said so many times that what is going on in Imo State is contrived by opposition politicians in order to gain power.
The interests of some politicians and armed non state actors are converging. This poses a formidable threat to our security.

Because of their political ambition, some politicians do everything possible to get power and they can even generate crisis to achieve their objective including setting fires here and there. Those with unrealistic expectations are latching on the issues of insecurity as a popular route to power.

Ahead of the 2023 elections, desperate politicians are fueling violence to achieve selfish political ends. Almost on a daily basis, they foul the atmosphere with unfounded allegations against the government and security agencies.

It is so sad to see a situation where those seeking for power are the ones guilty of disrupting our peace and tranquillity.

This is regrettable.

Eze Ugochukwu is the Special Adviser to Imo State Governor on Public Enlightenment.

IMO STATE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT

7th February 2023.

GOVERNOR HOPE UZODIMMA Meets APC Party Officials And Party Faithfuls At Rockview Hotel, Owerri

◇ TAKEAWAYS

“Their thinking and their plan is to provoke us into joining the ungodly act of killing people, – “The agreement between me and my God will not allow me to support the killing of innocent people” ~Governor Hope Uzodimma

“They have called me all sorts of names, – they called me Supreme Court Governor, but they know that they did not win election….Recently they are saying that Hope Uzodimma is busy borrowing, but when I came in 2020, Imo State cannot borrow because the Debt Management Office (DMO), will not approve – Imo was already over borrowed” ~ Uzodimma

“They are overwhelmed because where they felt was a desert and water will not come out, we came and water is now running in the place” ~ Hope Uzodimma.

“They know we will do the right thing, – And they know that Hope Uzodimma as a Governor of Imo State; with my experience in politics and with my knowledge of the needs of our people; that there will be a political revolution…..Afraid of that, they decided to create what they consider distractions…In public places, they threatened that they will make Imo State ungovernable…In public places, they threatened that Imo State will never know peace” ~ Uzodimma

“I have seen and I’ve heard, how members of our party are being persecuted for no fault of theirs, – I have seen how the opposition party in Imo State has so much victimised members of our party for nothing….The whole world has seen that many of our committed members have paid the price of loyalty by giving out their lives- The whole world also heard how many of your homes has been burnt down – how persecution has been visited upon you day after day, and how the opposition has used the unknown gunmen to intimidate you in your own state where you have a government…They have threatened you – Not even to display our posters…They have threatened you not even to attend our meetings, yet despite all these, you remained steadfast and committed…And today, everybody invited to this meeting came in your numbers” ~Governor Hope Uzodimma.

WATCH FULL VIDEO BELOW

THE END OF REALITY

• Implications Of False News

By: Prince Eze Ugochukwu

While it is important to defend free expression, and for other fundamental rights to be respected, there exits a grave threat to free speech, when such is predicated on falsehood.

It is crucial to understand the consequences and implications of falsifying information and spreading false news.

So many people and news organs thrive on false news. It is a big industry and people are making a living out of spreading misleading information.

When we falsify the news and spread same, it has deadly implications for our democracies, our economies, our businesses, and even our national security.

People incubate and hatch false news because it travels farther, faster, deeper, and more broadly than the truth. For political news, the magnitude of false political news travels much farther, faster, deeper, and more broadly than any other type of news.

As we get closer to the 2023 elections, in all likelihood, the problem will get worse.

Using availble technology, political actors are manipulating video and audio, making distortions of reality more convincing and more difficult to detect.

Social media has increased the speed and breadth with which information spreads. Twitter, and Facebook has become extraordinarily powerful platforms as the primary source of news for many people with virtually no safeguards.

The fact that false information spreads so easily on social media platforms makes it more dangerous due to millions of audience reading the news.

For our democracy, false news can threaten the integrity of our elections. We now have people using fabricated stories propagated online, to attempt to influence the elections.

The spread of falsity online is a serious concern for the democratic process and to a large extent, nothing can be done, so it seems, to limit or restrict this menace.

IMO STATE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT

Date: 27th January 2023.

GOVERNOR UZODIMMA IN NKWERRE LGA   – Opens The NYSC 2023 Batch ‘A’ Stream 1, Orientation Course And The Swearing-In Ceremony Of Corps Members Deployed To Imo State.

••••• “We must rise as citizens to preach national unity….Imo is your own state, we will give you all the rights and privileges…Cross fertilize ideas… We will honour and support you” ~Governor Hope Uzodimma

The Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma today, the 27th January 2023, performed the official swearing- in ceremony of Corps members posted to Imo State.

The ceremony which held at the NYSC Orientation Camp at Eziama Obaire in Nkwerre LGA, also witnessed the opening of the NYSC 2023 Batch ‘A’ Stream 1, Orientation Course.

While delivering his speech, the Governor thanked the Federal Government of Nigeria for initiating the NYSC program, and commended the President, Mohammadu Buhari for sustaining and strengthening the program during his tenure in office.

“I am delighted to see the young men and women reporting to Imo State from various states in the country to perform this annual ritual of having to give out one whole year of their lives for the service of the nation”, Governor Uzodimma stated.

The Governor went further to highlight that the NYSC program is meant to deepen national unity, encourage national integration, and foster cohesion.

Governor Uzodimma charged the corps members to avoid all forms of discrimination, be it ethnic, religious or political discrimination.

“We must understand that the brain box of our national life is our ability to meet together as brothers and sisters…This is an opportunity for you to understand yourselves, and as you grow collectively, you must be able to cross- fertilize ideas and be advisers to one another in order to encourage career growth and national development, the Governor reiterated.

On the part of the Imo State Government, Governor Uzodimma disclosed that “The Imo State Government will at the end of your program honour and recognise some of you who are able to show outstanding performance….We will not only help you by way of giving you social welfare, we will also help you to get befitting jobs in your areas of chosen endeavour, he assured.

*IMO STATE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT*

*CALL FOR STATE OF EMERGENCY IN IMO STATE*  – The Failure Of Strategic Foresight

By: Prince Eze Ugochukwu

It took them long to arrive at their final killing destination. Even when their destination was so obvious all along.

The call by the Peoples Democratic Party in Imo State for a declaration of a state of emergency in Imo State did not come as a surprise. All along it has been their game plan.

The game plan is to throw Imo into turmoil, burn some, waste some, destroy some, bury some, then point accusing fingers in the opposite direction.

Some candidates of political parties are undeniably out of their depth trying to find something to say to their constituents.

Instead of explaining to their constituents the antecedents that qualifies them for public office, they crafted a strategy to use the already defeated insecurity in Imo State as  sound bites. These are very disturbing to say the least but not surprising.

While Imo people trooped into their respective communities to enjoy the Christmas festivities and meet their friends and relatives, the scare mongers were on the airwaves and media spaces painting Imo State black as a no-go area.

But the irony is that, for this same class of politicians, you see them daily at receptions, at weddings and other socio-political programs and events in Imo State. Yet at any opportunity, they will tell you that Imo State is not safe. Those calling for a state of emergency in Imo State were so comfortable in the same Imo State facing the television to pull their stunt without disturbance.

When political office seekers go to the extent of fabricating all types of lies to portray their own state as unsafe, even at a time the whole nation has chosen this same state as a destination of choice for conferences and events, then they can go to the murky length of engineering their own fake attacks on themselves just to hog the limelight.

It is failure of strategic foresight for any politician to think he can allign with or ride on the back of the killings in Imo State into public office. It is not likely to happen as the population are now weary of the harbingers of bad news.

The masses are now suspicious of the witch that cried last night, and the child dies in the morning. The people are now making the linkages and connections.

It is now overwhelmingly clear that some known politicians contrived insecurity in Imo State in order to thrive on it as a political strategy to power. Their footprints are all over the crime scene.

But this murderous, and rampaging strategy has failed because of its cruelty and bloodletting.

The Government of Imo State under His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodimma has successfully  dislodged the bandits from the state. The Government is unrelenting and has succeeded in pushing back the enemies of the state and their hired killers. 

Those who feasted on the blood of  innocent people as a way of becoming “popular” will eventually kiss the dust.

Eze Ugochukwu is the Special Adviser to Imo State Governor on Public Enlightenment.

*The Dilemma Of Unrealistic Optimism*  – How unrealistic optimism is maintained in the face
of reality.

By: Prince Eze Ugochukwu

When David A. Amor and Shelley E. Taylor wrote that unrealistic optimism is a dilemma with certain consequences, they unknowingly captured some peculiarities in Imo State politics.

The optimism bias refers to our tendency to “overestimate our chances of positive experiences and underestimate our chances of negative experiences“. This can cause overconfidence in our professional ventures and personal life.

Here in Imo State, the tabloids and social media space are awash with daily postulations of favourite candidates to win the elections. The picture is all rosy for some, without the slightest consideration of a different outcome.

Some contestants have assigned to themselves, high marks, favourable and desirable outcomes than either objective criteria or logical analysis warrants. Infact the reality on ground may be pointing in a different direction.

It is this optimism without any objective criteria that presents an intriguing dilemma. With their biased predictions and expectations in their favour, they bestrode the landscape with pomp and pageantry.

According to David A. Amor and Shelley E. Taylor, “the clearest demonstrations of optimistic biases are those that have revealed systematic discrepancies between people’s predictions and the outcomes they ultimately attain”

And this leads us to the theory of unrealistic optimism? What is Unrealistic Optimism? “People are considered unrealistically optimistic if they predict that a personal future outcome will be more favorable than that suggested by a relevant, objective standard. Those with unrealistic optimism, invariably makes  mistake that leads them to defeat by their opponents.

The phenomenon of “Unrealistic Optimism” refers to a bias whereby “people rate negative events as less likely to happen to themselves and positive events as more likely to happen to themselves”.

This is a pervasive human trait that influences a lot of people running for elections. It is really baffling how people maintain unrealistic optimism, despite frequently encountering information that challenges those biased
beliefs of victory.

As the elections draw nearer, the decibels of optimism sounds ever higher and higher.

But a note of warning; Candidate’s should not underestimate their risk of experiencing negative outcomes.

Eze Ugochukwu writes from Owerri, the Imo State capital.

*IMO STATE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT*

*IMO STATE CIVIL SERVICE* -The Journey So Far With Governor Hope Uzodimma.

The Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma on assumption of office in January 2020 promised a new beginning for Imo State.

His agenda of reconstruction, rehabilitation and recovery was a bold statement that signposted his commitment to turn things around for good.

Prior to Uzodimma’s swearing in as Governor, the civil service in Imo State was characterised by arbitrary and undocumented job recruitments, overbloated payroll system, non promotions, zero health facilities and other institutional challenges.

Governor Uzodimma embarked on a systemic program to turnaround the fortunes of the Imo State civil service.

First was the establishment of the  Imo State Data Management Centre where the government converted the state civil service data from analog to digital leading to a successful computerization and automation of the payroll system. Till date, all verified civil servants receive their salaries as at when due.

This was quickly followed by a training programme for the civil servants especially on ICT to enable them adapt to global digital standards.

Governor Uzodimma did not stop at that. He looked into the  transportation challenges facing the workers. To solve the problem, he quickly provided free shuttle buses to ease their transportation bottlenecks. He also made available free breakfast as an added bonus.

For the Permanent Secretaries, the Governor, provided them with brand new official vehicles.

In addition, all Departments and Agencies of Government were presented with brand new official Toyota Hiace buses for conduct of government businesses.

Governor Uzodimma ordered the holding of promotional examinations and evaluations and  approved the promotion of 13 new Perm Secs including a physically challenged civil servant.

The Governor introduced the payment of 13th month salary. This was the first of it’s kind in the history of Nigeria.

In October 2021, His Excellency graciously approved free health insurance coverage for all civil servants to ease their health bills and that of their families.

A new civil service health clinic was set up at the Imo State Secretariat to cater solely for civil servants.

Unveiling the newly appointed Executive Secretary/CEO of Imo State Health Insurance Agency (IMSHIA) by the Imo State Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma

Uchenna Ewelike, MBBCh, MPH, MBA, MIAD, FRSPH, PhD

Dr. Ewelike is a Public Health Physician & Health Economist who hails from Ehime Mbano in Imo State. He attended both Primary and Secondary Education in Mbano between 1988-1994. He is a graduate of the University of Calabar where he obtained a bachelors degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBBCh). Having chosen a career part, he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where he obtained a Masters degree in Public Health (MPH). He also obtained a Masters Degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy (MIAD) from the same Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Dr. Ewelike also holds a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the National Open University of Nigeria. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (FRSPH) in the United Kingdom. He holds a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in Health Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is trained and certified by renowned world institutions on health financing and health system strengthening and hold the advanced health financing certificates from the World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank Group (WBG) and Korean Development Institute (KDI).

He started his career with the US-Government HIV control programme APIN/PEPFAR in Nigeria before joining public service where he is today a Deputy Director with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Nigeria. Till his secondment to Imo State Government, he was the Imo State Coordinator of NHIA. As an experienced technocrat he was once a Technical Adviser to the Overseeing Director/CEO, NHIA where he supported the operationalization of Basic Health Care Provision Fund and other innovative health financing models.

A visiting Senior Lecturer (Pro bono) with the Department of Public Health, College of Medicine Imo State University, Owerri. He teaches and mentors undergraduate and post graduate students the economics of healthcare especially in a developing economy.

He has contributed immensely as member to many national and international technical working groups on improving the health system. Such assignments include; Member World Health Organization technical network for Universal Health Coverage. Member National Health Accounts Technical team of the Federal Ministry of Health. He is also a member of the Country’s team for Medical Audit Collaborative where he actively participated in the development of Medical Audits toolkits by the Global Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage at its learning Centre in Seoul, South Korea, a document that is now used across the globe to improve quality and cost effectiveness in health insurance. Dr Ewelike is also a Member of the Domestic Resource Mobilization of Global Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage, JLN. He is a member of the Nigerian team on Strategic Health Purchasing African Resource Centre (SPARC) with its headquarters in Nairobi Kenya. Member Presidential Comprehensive Response Plan (PCRP) for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Ministerial Committee for the revitalization of Primary Healthcare Centers in Nigeria, Global Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage in both Efficiency and Domestic Resource Mobilization Collaborative. Member Expert Technical working Group on the review of Life-Saving Commodities for Children and Women in Africa the United Nations Commission on life saving Commodities.

Dr Ewelike is the author of the book ‘Basics of Health Financing in a Developing Economy’ which is used in many Nigerian Universities and health financing experts in the sub region. He has published many Google index scientific papers on health financing and health systems strengthening in local and international journals.

He is a former Director of Welfare of students’ Union Government in University of Calabar and a former Secretary General Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN) FCT Chapter. He is also the former Chairman, Steering Committee on Research for Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria. He is a member of the Nigerian Health Economics Association, African Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA), member International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) and International Health Economics Association (IHEA).

Dr Ewelike has received several awards and recognitions from organizations including Nigerian Medical Association, Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Army, Rotary Club, African Students Union Parliament, Mbano People’s Assembly and others.

He is widely travelled, a practicing Catholic and happily married to Nneka a chartered Accountant and blessed with four lovely children.

It is worthy of thanks to Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, the Governor of Imo State for identifying this great talent who has made his mark in the health financing space nationally and globally. The Governor to personally secure the necessary approvals from the Honorable Minister of Health in seconding him to Imo State Government to serve his people speaks volume. Imo State Government has shown commitment in ensuring financial risk protection for the health of Ndi Imo thus getting a technocrat to man the agency became expedient.