The Governor of Imo State Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and his Kano State counterpart, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje have been awarded the prestigious Nigeria Infrastructure Development Awards 2019.
The event organiser Infrastructure Development Magazine at the event held in Ikeja Lagos said while Governor Ihedioha was recognised as Innovative Infrastructure Solutions award winner as Governor of Imo, Governor Ganduje won the category of Best Infrastructure Governor of the Year (North West).
They also said that both Governors excelled in their pragmatic approach to solving infrastructure deficits in their home states with creative funding models that have boosted businesses and aided improved standard of living of their people.
According to them, “Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is reputed for coming up with the most ambitious infrastructural reconstruction projects ever witnessed since after the civil war. Specifically, among others, works have commenced on 14 critical roads across the State Capital and the three Federal roads that leads to Orlu, Okigwe and Obowu. The State also flagged off a massive rural roads construction projects of 380.7 kilometers across the 27 local governments of the State valued at a total of N13.5 billion.
Currently, the State is working with a global consulting firm – the CSPS Transcom to put together an integrated investment plan designed to transform the State into one of the top three most developed state economies in Nigeria by 2025.
Governor Ihedioha, a technocrat, innovator and administrator came up with the Imo Growth and Strategic Development Agenda plan (G-SDP), a two-stage development horizon of a 5-year Economic blueprint conceived by the Transition Technical Committee provides the roadmap for the overall economic growth and development of the State which include, among other things, the delivery of 381km rural access road projects, restoration of an improved Owerri masterplan, restoration of water supply in Owerri metropolis, roll out of a State health Insurance scheme as well as the reactivation of four technical education institutions in the State.
Others include an economic growth and Strategic development with emphasis on human capital development, Agriculture and food security, infrastructure, industrialization and job creation as well as security and environment.
Water supply which has been lacking for many years in the State has been restored with the revitalisation of the Otammiri Water supply.
Without doubt the administration of Governor Ganduje has recorded remarkable achievements in infrastructural development. The government (re)constructed over 20 metropolitan and rural roads in areas like Yusuf, Bompai, Kwaranga, Dakata Bella, Kings Garden Tudun Murtala, Burumburum Siyasa, and Kibbiya Rano and the Murtala Mohammed flyover bridge that is expected to help ease traffic congestion in the area. The administration has also delivered the Gadon Kaya Underpass and Five Kilometre Roads in the 44 Local Governments and the largest underpass bridge in Northern Nigeria at Madobi Road in Kumbotso Local Government area of the State.
In the Health sector, the State Government has spent N2billion on drugs and medical equipment for patients and hospitals to address health challenges in the state. The administration also purchased 153 tricycle ambulances for transporting pregnant women to hospitals to ensure their safe delivery.
Perhaps the most ambitious of them all is the Kanawa Economic City which when completed will provide over half a million jobs to the people of Kano State and beyond, and is expected to provide over 10 thousand retail shops, 160 warehouses; a standard shopping mall, an international conference centre, a World trade centre, light factories, a motel and hotel, banks, clinic, among other facilities that will be made available in this world class international market the 1st of its kind in the region.
- (C) Control TV 2019.
