The Action Peoples Party (APP) in Imo State has expressed deep concern over what it described as lost opportunities, leadership failure and the erosion of the legacy of the state’s founding fathers as Imo marks its 50th anniversary.

In a statement issued on Tuesday to commemorate the golden jubilee, the Hon. Ernest Njesi–led APP said the anniversary should be a time for “gratitude and sober reflection,” rather than mere celebration.

Imo State was created on February 3, 1976, under the administration of General Murtala Muhammed.

According to the party, the state was founded on strong ideals of self-determination, dignity and rapid development, anchored on world-class education, agricultural transformation, industrialisation, vibrant commerce and hospitality, as well as the promise of technology-driven growth.

However, the APP lamented that many of the landmark industrial projects initiated under the administration of the late Chief Sam Mbakwe, the state’s first civilian governor, had become moribund, abandoned or were operating far below capacity.

The party listed projects such as the Aluminium Extrusion Industry (ALEX), Inyishi, Ikeduru; Resin Paint Factory, Aboh Mbaise; Paper Packaging Industry, Owerre-Ebiri, Orlu; Nsu Tiles and Ceramics Industry, Ehime Mbano; Imo Modern Poultry Farm, Avutu, Obowo; Sacs Hercules Motorcycle Assembly Plant, Naze; and the Clay Bricks and Roofing Tiles industries in Ezinnachi and Amuro, Okigwe.

“These once-thriving engines of employment, skills development and wealth creation have become painful monuments to squandered opportunities and broken promises,” the party stated.

While acknowledging ongoing jubilee activities such as interdenominational thanksgiving services, quiz competitions and cultural displays, the APP noted that many residents were still grappling with hardship.

“Fifty years on, many communities remain isolated by poor roads, hospitals lack essential drugs and equipment, public schools struggle to produce the brilliant minds Imo was once known for, civil servants and pensioners are denied their entitlements, market women and artisans battle daily hardship, while insecurity continues to threaten peaceful living,” the statement said.

The party also criticised the state of local government administration, describing it as “stifled and incapacitated,” despite improved federal allocations to the state in recent years.

According to the APP, the jubilee should mark the beginning of genuine accountability and real change, not just speeches and fanfare.

It stressed that the best way to honour Imo’s founding leaders was to build a government that works for the people—through functional roads, efficient healthcare, quality education, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, a secure business environment and lasting peace.

Addressing residents, the party said: “We see your struggles. We hear your quiet anger, your unspoken fears, and your burning hope for something better.”

The APP said it was ready to offer an alternative ahead of the 2027 elections, under what it described as people-focused leadership, citing figures such as Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi (Mazi Gburugburu) and Rt. Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere.