Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has accused former administrations of mismanaging the state and leaving behind a massive debt burden of ₦292 billion, which he claimed was the financial situation he inherited upon assuming office in 2020. During a recent interview in Lagos, Uzodimma stated that under his leadership, the state’s debt has been slashed to under N100 million, making Imo financially stable and capable of engaging with global institutions such as the World Bank. He noted that the heavy debts accumulated by past governments initially restricted his administration’s ability to secure project funding.He said,
“I met a ₦292 billion debt in 2020, and as of today, we have reduced the debt to less than ₦100 million so that the state can become solvent to be able to discuss credit with international organisations.”
Governor Uzodinma also made a boost on how he has increased the internal generated revenue of Imo state, compared to what it was when he resumed office in 2020. According to him ;
”Back in 2020, the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) was under N400 million per month. However, as things stand today, we are generating nearly ₦4 billion monthly. We have drastically reduced revenue leakages to the barest level. One major step we took was halting the use of consultants for government revenue collection. Instead, we implemented a unified treasury account system, ensuring that all revenue streams, both formal and informal, are now fully automated”
Uzodimma described the state of decay he met in 2020, claiming that both public and essential private infrastructure had collapsed. He recalled that by the time he took office, most roads, including major and inner routes, were in deplorable condition. The Government House was uninhabitable, and the state secretariat was in ruins, making it impossible for civil servants to work effectively. He said the lack of basic amenities, including potable water, painted a grim picture of total neglect. According to him, his immediate predecessor, Emeka Ihedioha, couldn’t live in the Government House throughout his seven-month tenure due to its dilapidated condition.