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See Reasons PDP Accuses Governor Uzodimma of Mismanaging Imo State

Published by admin on January 17th, 2025.

See Reasons PDP Accuses Governor Uzodimma of Mismanaging Imo State

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has criticized Governor Hope Uzodimma for his alleged poor handling of the state’s resources.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Lancelot Obiaku, the PDP publicity secretary in the state, stated that Uzodimma’s tenure, both during his first term and the early part of his second, has been characterized by economic mismanagement, insecurity, and a lack of transparency.

The party pointed to the state’s disappointing performance in generating revenue, referencing data from BudgIT, a non-governmental organization focused on fiscal transparency. According to Obiaku, under Uzodimma’s leadership, Imo ranked between 26th and 36th in terms of internally generated revenue (IGR) and was 32nd in the 2024 fiscal performance ranking.

Obiaku also highlighted that in 2024, Imo recorded the lowest value-added tax (VAT) revenue in the country, generating just ₦235.41 million, which is nearly half of what Zamfara, the second-lowest performing state, generated.

He criticized the administration for creating a poor business environment, stating that insecurity and excessive taxation have negatively impacted businesses. “Uzodimma’s regime has resulted in the worst performance in the state’s history concerning economy, trade, commerce, and ease of doing business,” Obiaku said.

Despite these challenges, the PDP noted that Imo continues to rank poorly in terms of revenue generation and fiscal performance. The state’s VAT revenue in 2024 was just a fraction of what Lagos generated, further demonstrating the failure to manage the state’s economy.

On issues of governance, transparency, and accountability, the PDP accused the governor of centralizing authority and managing the state’s affairs in a secretive manner. “The governor has reduced governance to a one-man operation, and without him, nothing works,” Obiaku added.

The opposition party also expressed concern over the prolonged vacancy in the office of the chief judge, which has been empty since November 2024. Obiaku questioned how the governor could neglect to appoint a new chief judge, noting that this has led to delays in assigning cases, severely impacting the state’s judicial system.