Nelson Utip
The Nigerian Senate, yesterday eulogized former governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan who died on Monday, they recalling his contributions to peace-building in the Niger Delta, regional economic integration, and the development of healthcare and infrastructure during his eight-year administration.
Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio underscored Uduaghan’s role in the BRACED Commission, a regional development initiative involving Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta states, as well as his participation in efforts by South-south governors to address militancy in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the former governor worked with other governors in the region and the administration of former President Umaru Yar’Adua towards the amnesty initiative that helped restore relative peace in the oil-producing communities.
The tributes followed a motion by Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas (Delta South) and co-sponsored by Senators Ned Nwoko (Delta North), Ede Dafinone (Delta Central), and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), following the death of the former governor on October 19. He was 71.
Senators who contributed to the debate stressed Uduaghan’s achievements in healthcare delivery, education, transportation, and economic diversification, describing his years in public service as significant to the development of Delta State and the wider South-south region.
Senator Thomas who moved the motion, described the deceased as a distinguished medical practitioner, statesman, and public servant whose eight years as governor left an imprint on the political, social, and economic development of Delta State.
He further said that Uduaghan’s medical background shaped his administration’s emphasis on healthcare, particularly through programmes that provided free medical services to pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under five.
Thomas also cited investments in the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, and initiatives aimed at improving education, including the rehabilitation of public schools, the Edu-My-Child programme, scholarships, and assistance for students taking public examinations.
He listed infrastructural development under Uduaghan which includes road construction, transportation projects, and the development of Asaba International Airport among the major initiatives.
The senator added that the former governor’s Delta Beyond Oil agenda sought to reduce the state’s dependence on crude oil revenue by encouraging agriculture, tourism and the growth of small and medium-scale enterprises.
In his contribution, Senator Dafinone said the late governor’s legacy should be assessed by the lives he touched through public service.
“Public service is marked by the number of lives touched in service, and there is no doubt that in his eight years as governor, his position as Secretary to the State Government and Commissioner for Health, our late governor touched very many lives.” He said.
Former Edo State governor and senator for Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, highlighted Uduaghan’s contribution to regional integration through the BRACED Commission.
He said that the initiative was designed to move the six South-south states beyond periodic meetings towards a coordinated development framework that could harness the region’s natural resources and human capital.
Oshiomhole also recalled that Uduaghan provided logistical support for the establishment of a secretariat to coordinate the commission’s activities.
“Emmanuel Uduaghan was not lost in the Itsekiri people. He may have been born as an Itsekiri man by accident of birth, but actually, he was a proud son of Delta, and he deployed all he had to upgrade the living standard of Delta.” Oshiomhole said.
Senator Nwoko, in his contribution, recalled discussions with Uduaghan about the development of Asaba International Airport during his time in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003.
He said the proposal initially encountered opposition from the administration of former Governor James Ibori, which argued that Delta State already had an airport at Osubi, near Warri.
His account underscored the policy discussions that preceded the development of the Asaba airport, which subsequently became an important transportation facility for the state.
Senator Francis Faduyile, a medical doctor representing Ondo South, described Uduaghan as a role model whose professional background informed his commitment to improving healthcare delivery.
He recalled the former governor’s interventions in the health sector and his participation in a National Health Summit organised by the Nigerian Medical Association.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who described the deceased as her in-law, spoke of his compassion, gentleness, and willingness to offer counsel and support to members of his family.
“He is a father figure to many, and to me, he goes beyond being an in-law.” She said.
After the emotion filled deliberation, the senate observed a minute’s silence in honour of the former governor and extended its condolences to his family and the people of Delta State.
