(My Story):
By Amb Obi Adim
When Owerri was announced as the capital of old Imo State, it had only two major roads: Douglas road and Wetheral road. There was no good hotels and accommodation for offices and residential area for government officials.
We are the Owerri municipal first generation that witnessed the aggressive urban renewal implementation program of 1976. It was comparable to that of Dubai. The standard of infrastructure in Aladinma housing estate, Ikenegbu layout, prefab housing estate, federal housing estate, works layout and later new owerri was phenomenal.
Our parents were the pioneer civil servants of old Imo State that metamorphosed from Eastcentral State. The pioneer Governor Navy Captain Ndubuise Kanu of blessed memories and pioneer civil servants rose to the challenge to implement the master plan which led to the building of key infrastructure in the state in record time and under budget.
Adekunle Lawal and Sunday Adenihun continued with Kanu’s master plan, until Odogwu Sam Mbakwe emerged on the 1st Oct 1979 and took the baton and ran with it in record breaking lightening speed.
Owerri is our city, we threw the best parties in Owerri back then and we had friends attend from Lagos, Calabar, Enugu etc, they were always flabbergasted when they visited because of the cleanliness, standard of roads and drainage.
When I was a student of Federal Government College Okigwe, I always clashed with my school mates from Lagos State because they had a swag and always behaved like their State was Eldorado.
Their arrogance was so much that they behaved like they came from another planet. They always spoke about Eko hotel, boasting it was the best hotel in Nigeria.
One holiday, I went to my Aunt’s house in Lagos. My cousins and I usually stroll to Eko hotel for swimming. I realized the all mighty Eko hotel wasn’t that spectacular as my school mates portrayed, so I confronted them one day on the issue of Eko hotel. I stood up to the arrogant Legosians in pride and proclaimed that our “Imo Concord Hotel” was better than Eko Hotel.
We debated on the matter for a year until the press club was scheduled to undertake an excursion to our prestigious Concord Hotel, and It happened that i made the team.
As our school bus came down the slopes of Okigwe road, heading towards New-Owerri, I could see the faces of the Lagosians, acknowledging the good roads and cleanliness of our city.
When we concluded the excursion, heading back to school, everybody including the arrogant Lagosian came to the conclusion that Imo Concord Hotel was better than the pride of Lagos “Eko Hotel”.
I couldn’t understand why I was struck with sudden emotions, with slight tears running down my eyes. I was so proud to be an Owerrian and Imolite at large.
I want to reiterate that being part of a man made political boundary of zoning doesn’t make one more Owerrian than the other. I am more Owerrian than most people who fall in the political boundary of zoning. I have always visualized Imo as a Metropolitan State, Owerri Capital Territory being a Mega City linking new suburbs towards Okigwe axis and Orlu axis, transforming Imo to a metropolitan State. Imo being only 5,530 km2 makes it feasible.
I was invited when late Eze Emmanuel Njemanze, Ozuruigbo the 5th summoned a meeting of all Owerri zone Governorship candidates in 2014. It was Emeka Ihedioha, Captain Iheanacho, Osmond Ukanacho and my humble self.
The pertinent question is why did Ozuruigbo the great deem it fit for me to be part of that meeting?
I don’t buy the idea of somebody living all his life in Timbuktu, comes back after 25 years to benefit from a man made political zoning arrangement.
If the obsolete Charter of Equity were to be implemented, the political boundary of zoning should not effect the pioneer Owerri Brought ups.
“If Owerri isn’t my city then President Bola Tinubu isn’t fit to be called City-Boy..”
-Amb Obi Adim
Well spoken Ambassador, We are proud of you and all your efforts to the development of Owerri, our beloved city.