Uduaghan revolutionised governance in Delta — Ogeah

Former Delta State Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, has described the late former governor, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, as a visionary leader who revolutionised governance through innovative policies and programmes aimed at improving the lives of residents.

Ogeah, who served during Uduaghan’s second term as governor, said the former governor demonstrated that state governments could do much more to improve the welfare of their people.

In a condolence statement following Uduaghan’s death in the early hours of Monday, Ogeah said the late governor’s overriding concern was improving living standards across Delta State.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of this great man. I had the privilege of working closely with him in his second term as Commissioner for Information. His major preoccupation was always what to do to improve the quality of living of the people and residents of Delta State,” he said.

Ogeah said Uduaghan measured development by its impact on the people, noting that the former governor introduced programmes designed to improve healthcare, education, infrastructure and human capital development.

He cited the maternal and child healthcare initiative as one of Uduaghan’s landmark programmes, under which children below five years, pregnant women and nursing mothers received free healthcare.

According to Ogeah, Uduaghan’s background as a medical doctor and administrator helped him drive the initiative with considerable commitment.

“The initiative revolutionised health services in Nigeria because it was unknown in the country. His background as an accomplished medical practitioner and administrator equipped him for the project, and he drove it with immense passion,” he said.

On education, Ogeah recalled that Uduaghan built modern classrooms and equipped science laboratories across the state.

He also highlighted the EduMarshal project, which was introduced to ensure that school-age children attended classes during school hours.

Under the initiative, parents of children found hawking on the streets during school hours were apprehended and prosecuted, he said.

Ogeah added that Uduaghan established a scholarship scheme for Delta State indigenes who graduated from Nigerian universities with first-class degrees, awarding each beneficiary N5 million to pursue further studies anywhere in the world.

Describing Uduaghan’s economic vision, the former commissioner said the governor’s “Delta Beyond Oil” initiative reflected his understanding of the need to reduce the state’s dependence on crude oil revenue and develop other sectors of the economy.

“Nigerians got to know that crude oil, which remains the mainstay of the economy, is a finite resource that has a limited life span. He began the process of weaning Delta’s economy from dependence on oil and growing other sectors of the economy,” Ogeah said.

He added that Uduaghan’s emphasis on economic diversification anticipated the need for governments at all levels to prepare for the eventual depletion of crude oil resources.

On infrastructure, Ogeah identified the construction and operationalisation of Asaba International Airport as one of Uduaghan’s signature projects, saying it opened up Delta North to greater development.

He recalled that he personally contributed to securing some of the approvals required for the airport’s operations through contacts in the aviation sector following his tenure as managing director of Sahcol.

Ogeah also cited the construction of the Government House in Asaba, stadiums in Warri and Sapele, and the Stephen Keshi Stadium as major infrastructure projects undertaken during Uduaghan’s administration. The Stephen Keshi Stadium later hosted international matches and served as the main venue for the 21st National Sports Festival in 2022.

He further praised the late governor’s approach to the distribution of infrastructure projects across the state, citing the Trans-Warri–Ode-Itsekiri Road and Bridge project, which included the construction of bridges linking riverine communities.

Ogeah also listed the 18.4-kilometre Ugiliama–Eweshioum–Ogume–Abbi Road and the 42.6-kilometre Iselegu–Utagba Uno–Obiaruku Road among projects executed in the Ndokwa area.

In the health sector, he said Uduaghan established specialist facilities at the Mother and Child Hospital in Warri and the Delta State University Teaching Hospital in Oghara, including diagnostic equipment.

Ogeah added that the former governor invested in media development by sponsoring journalists from print and electronic media organisations in Delta State for specialised training at the Thomson Reuters Foundation Institute in London.

He said more than 40 practising journalists benefited from the programme.

Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to have worked with Uduaghan, Ogeah extended his condolences to the former governor’s wife and children.

“I was greatly inspired by Dr Uduaghan’s sense of service to the people. It was a great privilege to have worked closely with him. I commiserate with his wife and children. He was a great boss I will always cherish. May God receive him in His paradise,” he said.

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