Imo At 50: Madumere Calls For Legacy Sustainability, Cautious Optimism, Inclusivity

The former deputy  governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere, has called on the citizenry to approach the milestones recorded by the state at 50 with cautious optimism, legacy preservation,  inclusivity, unity of purpose and sober reflection.

This is even as he urged the people to  deliberately  work assiduously towards the sustainability of their common  heritage and legacy, believing that at the end of the day, there will be light at the other side of the tunnel.

Prince Madumere made this known while addressing journalists in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.

The American trained technocrat urged the people to develop the spirit of resilience, optimism,  reflect on the way forward and  create holistic methodology and chart the road map  for the sustainable development of the legacies  left behind by the founding fathers of the state.

Prince  Madumere said,  “At 50,  we have come a long way and weathered the storm as a people  with common  heritage and collective interest. This is the time to engage   in deep,  reflective and thought provoking contemplation on the journey  so far. We have to ask critical  questions and proffer  solutions in respect of where we are, plans for the future  and our expectations  at the end of the day.

“I fervently believe that answers to these questions will catapult us to the next level of socio cultural and socio -economic development. If we marshall out our economic blueprint and work tirelessly for the actualization of our collective dreams and aspirations.

This is the time to  give Almighty God the glory for preservation, positive impacts and developmental strides, as instituted by  former governor of the State, Dr. Sam  Mbakwe of blessed memory.”

The Imo governorship hopeful stressed that the challenges confronting the state are surmountable through basic planning, commitment and articulation of the needs assessment.

Prince Madumere, a philanthropist, stressed that the Golden Jubilee celebration presents an opportunity to honour the vision, mission, sacrifices, and foresight of the founding fathers, whose  devotion,  commitment and focus entrenched the foundation for the then  prosperous  economic base mainstreamed by  factories, industries, agriculture, and strategic  investment portfolio.

He said, “Imo State used to be the economic hub of the Southeast region, during the reign of Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory.  The  state was also a  classical representation for industrial and agricultural production across the region. I remembered vividly ventures such as  Standard Shoes industry, Avutu Poultry,  Adapalm Plantation Estate, Imo Rubber Estate, and Nsu Ceramic Industry. All these provided thousands of jobs, strengthened local value chains, and positioned the state as an emerging industrial hub.”

The  business magnet, however,  expressed astonishment that most of these  industries and establishments have  gone  moribund and with  little hope of  resuscitation. According to him, their collapse symbolises more than abandoned infrastructure.

“These  comatose projects  represents lost opportunities, weak capacity, and many years of policy somersault, thereby denying the teeming youths the opportunity of gainful job placements,” he added.