Four decades of preoccupation with development in Imo State have yielded meagre returns. The economy of the state has been stagnating or regressing. Unemployment is widespread, health prospects are getting poorer, infrastructure has broken down, industries are comatose, agriculture remains crude, crime keeps escalating, and education has taken a nosedive.  The state occupies top positions in almost all indices of social misery.

In the next few days, especially, on Saturday, 16th, February 2019, the D' day. On that day, millions of Nigerians who are registered would troop out to exercise one of their most inalienable rights of choosing those to governor them. Expectedly, it is to be a very free and interesting exercise.

With just a few days to the planned general election in the country, it will be appropriate to acknowledge two remarkable developments. First and very fundamental, is the relentless efforts by the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free and fair exercise.