COMRADE MULADE MOURN TRANSITION OF A STATESMAN: TRIBUTE TO HIS EXCELLENCY, DR. EMMANUEL EWETA UDUAGHAN, CON (1954 – 2026)
COMRADE MULADE SHERIFF PhD, National Democratic Party NDP Candidate and Coordinator, CENTER FOR PEACE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (CEPEJ)
It is with profound shock and a heavy heart that I, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Management, Staff and Volunteers of the Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), and on behalf of the peace-loving people of Warri Federal Constituency, the Niger Delta, received the sad news of the passing of our leader, father and elder statesman, *His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, CON*, former Governor of Delta State, who transited to glory in the early hours of *Monday, October 19, 2026, at the age of 71*, just three days to his 72nd birthday.
This is not just the death of a former Governor. It is the fall of an Iroko, the exit of a political colossus, and a monumental loss to Delta State, the Itsekiri Nation, the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.
*A LIFE DEFINED BY SERVICE: FROM HOSPITAL TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE*
Dr. Uduaghan was born on *October 22, 1954*, in Abigborodo, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, to the Royal Uduaghan Family of Itsekiri extraction. He lived a life defined by uncommon service to humanity.
A brilliant medical scholar, he attended Federal Government College, Warri (1968-1974) and the University of Benin (1975-1980), where he obtained his MBBS and Diploma in Anaesthesia. He worked meritoriously as a Consultant Anaesthesiologist at the Delta Steel Company Medical Centre, Westend Hospital Warri, Benoni Hospital Benin City and Shell Hospital Ogunu, before establishing his own successful private practice in Warri in 1994.
His public service journey remains exemplary and a lesson in loyalty, diligence and competence:
– *1999 – 2003: Commissioner for Health, Delta State* under Chief James Onanefe Ibori, where he revolutionized healthcare delivery, improved the welfare of medical personnel and upgraded general hospitals across the state.
– *2003 – 2007: Secretary to the State Government (SSG)*, where he served as the engine room, the stabilizer and the bridge of the Ibori administration, mastering the art of governance and statecraft.
– *2007 – 2015: Executive Governor of Delta State* on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), serving two full terms before handing over to Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa on May 29, 2015.
*THE TALK AND DO GOVERNOR: A LEGACY THAT SPEAKS*
Dr. Uduaghan was not a governor who made noise; his projects made the noise for him. That was why Deltans fondly and unanimously christened him *”The Talk and Do Governor.”*
His administration was anchored on his famous *Three-Point Agenda: Peace and Security, Human Capital Development, and Infrastructure Development*, and his visionary *”Delta Beyond Oil” Initiative*.
Long before Nigeria began to debate economic diversification and energy transition, Dr. Uduaghan saw tomorrow. Through Delta Beyond Oil, he dared to dream of a Delta that could survive without crude oil by investing massively in Agriculture, Tourism, Entertainment, SMEs and Industrialization.
His achievements are too numerous to list, but history will forever remember him for:
*1. PEACE AND SECURITY:* He was a major pillar behind the Federal Government’s Niger Delta Amnesty Programme under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. His peace-building model in Warri and the creeks restored lasting peace, ended militancy and directly led to the increase of Nigeria’s crude oil production from 700,000 barrels per day to over 2.4 million barrels per day. Without his peace, there would have been no development.
*2. INFRASTRUCTURAL GIANT:* He gave Delta the *Asaba International Airport*, which today connects Delta to the world. He expanded the Osubi Airstrip, opened up Asaba capital territory with dualized roads, massive drainage and the Asaba-Onitsha corridor, and constructed thousands of kilometers of roads from Warri to Asaba, Ughelli to Agbor, Sapele to Ozoro and Oleh.
*3. HUMAN CAPITAL & HEALTH REVOLUTION:* As a medical doctor, his heart was with the people. He introduced *Free Maternal Healthcare for pregnant women and Free Healthcare for Children Under 5*, which reduced maternal mortality from 545 per 100,000 live births in 2007 to 241 in 2012. He built the world-class *Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara (DELSUTH)*, 13 Model Secondary Schools and 54 Model Primary Schools across the state.
*4. YOUTH EMPOWERMENT:* He instituted the First-Class Graduate Scholarship Scheme of N5 Million per annum for postgraduate studies abroad. His deliberate investment in youth produced the Commissioners, Lawmakers and Leaders we see today.
He was honoured with the *Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON)* and named Vanguard Man of the Year 2013.
*OUR FAREWELL*
At CEPEJ, we will forever remember Dr. Uduaghan as a peace-loving leader who always opened his doors to Civil Society Organizations and youth groups. He was a father to me personally and a strong supporter of environmental justice and peace advocacy in the Niger Delta.
To his beloved wife, *Her Excellency, Deaconess Roli Nere Uduaghan*, his children, his brother and political father, *Chief James Onanefe Ibori*, the Governor of Delta State, *Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori*, the Uduaghan Royal Family of Abigborodo, and the entire Itsekiri Nation, we extend our deepest condolences.
You came, you saw, you touched lives, and you conquered. You fought a good fight. You finished your course. You kept the faith.
May Almighty God grant your noble soul eternal rest in His bosom and grant all of us the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss.
*Goodnight, Your Excellency.*
*Goodnight, The Talk and Do Governor.*
*Goodnight, Ewo of Warri Kingdom!*
*ADIEU!*
*Signed:*
*Comrade Mulade Sheriff PhD*
NDP, Candidate for Warri Federal Constituency and
Coordinator,
*Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ)*
*Warri, Delta State.
