By Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji
The Immediate Past Commissioner for Homeland Security and Vigilante Affairs in Imo State, Dr. Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji, has commended the government of Senator Hope Uzodimma for the strides it has made in the past few months to attract investments in energy and agriculture to Imo State. He made the remark as a prelude to calling on the Imo State Government to selectively appoint Foreign Investment and Development Advocates (FIDAs) from among resourceful Imo leaders in the Diaspora. These remarks were made at a meeting of some members of the Iheatu Political Action Committee in Owerri on Saturday, July 20, 2024.
Dr. Ugorji made the recommendation in recognition of the organizing efforts of a group known as Imo Diaspora Leadership Forum, headed by Engineer Sampson Ude. The group had its first gathering in Imo State on January 6, 2024, at Rockview Hotel. The former Commissioner represented Governor Uzodimma at that event and welcomed the returning Imo citizens who were visiting home for the holidays.
In his recent call, Dr. Ugorji said that the government can structure a special status for Imo citizens in the Diaspora who are willing to invest a minimum amount in areas that the government identifies as urgent in the current developmental needs of the state. The program could provide incentives for such investments, including but not limited to tax exemptions for a specified period, waivers on government building permit fees, and maybe even subsidized purchase of land in strategic locations around the state.
To facilitate this idea, Dr. Ugorji recommends the appointment of FIDAs among Imo Diaspora Leaders in selected countries of the world, with the Imo Diaspora Leadership Forum as a possible anchor. “I commend the grand vision of organizing Imo Diaspora leaders on a global scale, “ Ugorji said. “The state will be well served to tap into that vision and effort, especially towards the much needed investments and development of our people,” he added.
...Dr. Ugorji also spoke about the idea of a Diaspora Village or Diaspora Estate in Imo State, targeted at attracting resources to improve the housing situation in Imo State and increase the tax base (Internally Generated Revenue) of the state. “I believe that if government designates a reserved area for a Diaspora Village in New Owerri, many of our well healed brethren will grab the opportunity to build both high-end and low income houses in Imo State,” he said. NNL.
