George  Onyejiuwa, Owerri

IMO State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, has appointed Steve Osuji, member of the Editorial Board, The Nation Newspaper, as his Special Adviser (Media) and Chibuike Onyeukwu as Chief Press Secretary.

Osuji, a graduate of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, is an experienced and respected senior journalist of over two decades standing. He has worked in top position in many major newspapers in Nigeria,including The Guardian, ThisDay, New Age as well as MD/CEO of Imo Newspapers Limited.

He will bring his wealth of experience and clout to bear on the job.

Onyeukwu, who holds a first degree in Political Science,  Master’s degree in Mass Communication both from the Imo State University and PGD in journalism, has been a long-time aide of Governor Ihedioha from the parliamentary days.

Meanwhile, Ihedioha has offered an olive branch to members of the opposition to join him in rebuilding the state, promising to run an inclusive government.

He said he would review the free education policy as well as the land allocation of his predecessor.

Ihedioha stated this after he was sworn in, yesterday, by the state Chief Judge, Justice Paschal Nnadi,  as the sixth substantive governor of Imo State.

In a speech entitled: “Together, we will rebuild Imo,”  Ihedioha extended an olive branch to all those who ran the governorship election with him even as he  castigated the departed All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state for degradation and destruction of some institutions.

He bemoaned  the pathetic plight of pensioners in the state, who were deprived of the their entitlements and monthly pensions by the former governor, Rochas Okorocha administration, chains of decayed and abandoned infrastructures as well as shoddy execution of capital projects due to flagrant disregard of due process and rule of law.

Ihedioha stated that he would not embark on any form of witch-hunting against anybody who worked with Okorocha.

Assuring that his words still remain his bonds, the governor said he would take appropriate steps to restore confidence in the governance of the state with genuine conviction, commitment and candour.