The governor of Imo State and youths in one of his government sponsored youth programs: Image via Vang & Tribuneonline
Imo , Nigeria, (EPICSTORIAN) – The Imo state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has during a political barnstorming ahead of the State’s governorship election said his administration is poised to sponsor 4,000 Imo Indigenes willing to relocate to the UK and Canada.
Uzodinma announced this that his government will provide these interested persons with opportunity to secure employment in Europe and Canad before the end of December this year, 2023.
Uzodinma faces backlash after the announcement
Meanwhile, soon after the release of this announcement the governor’s government-sponsored scheme was severely criticized by a member of his opposition party, Yunusa Tanko.
The Labour Party national director of media, Yunusa Tanko, condemned the promise by Governor hope Uzodinma to take 4000 Imo youth abroad, describing it as “an insult to the state”.
“The Athan governorship manifesto tried to look into the issue of the youth. It’s not this particular issue of giving job opportunities to imolites young boys and girls abroad,“ he said.
“That is total deceit because how many of them have you employed back home to build the state and you are telling them that you are going to give them tickets, that is insulting.”
Emphasizing his confidence in Imo state citizens’ ability to develop their state and economy with adequate government support, Mr Tanko said, “Imolites are people who want to build their state. they don’t look for handout and become a refugee.”
In the same press release, stating his party’s effort to ensure that they elect someone who they believe will help deliver Imolites desired hope for a good leader, Mr Tanko said: “First of all, we want to ensure that we bring dignity and integrity to Imolites, making sure they have job opportunities within to build their state. By doing so, there would be a collective effort and responsibility to move the state forward.”
Further speaking on the responsibility of the INEC to ensure credibility with respect to the Imo state upcoming gubernatorial election, Mr Tanko added that ‘INEC is ready to correct their errors from the previously held presidential election’.
“INEC has a lot of work to do. They need to show that what they did to the Nigerian people in the 2023 election, especially the Presidential election, was a mistake they are willing to correct, even though we are still hoping that the supreme court will right the wrong,” he stressed.
He also pointed out his observation of the state’s previous election process, and some of the challenges that can be presently averted on the part of voters in the upcoming election
“Coming from the fact that the same INEC almost messed up the same election that brought the present governor of Imo state into power, Imo state at the moment already cannot afford any disjointed election.
“Every voter must have their voter’s card and all the electronic machines must work. Otherwise, we would have another terrible situation in our hands,” Mr. Tanko also added.
