Since becoming Governor of Delta State May 2007, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan has made stability of the oil rich state the central plank of his administration’s governing policy. Located in the western part of the volatile Niger Delta region, Governor Uduaghan’s policy of peace and security has insulated his state from the crisis that engulfed the region. Delta state under him has been widely acknowledged as the most peaceful and stable state in the region.

Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan was born into the family of Chief Edmund D. Uduaghan and Mrs. Cecilia Uduaghan on October 22, 1954. The father hailed from Abigborodo in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, while the mother Cecilia hailed from Ubiaja in Esan South-East of Edo State . His mixed parentage made him an open and accessible individual without any inhibition about people, their backgrounds and origin. With this background it is not unusual that as a politician and leader he has retained his being seen as a humane and approachable person.

As a child and young student, Dr Uduaghan was precocious and focused, a trait people thought showed him as having the potential for leadership. In life after school, selfless service, hard work, discipline and commitment to duty have been the qualities dotting what one would call his road map to success and frontline role. His profile is as intimidating as it is enviable.

His academic career began in Baptist Primary School, Mosogar in then Ethiope Local Government Area of Delta State, where he was a pupil between 1961 –1966. He went to Federal Government College, Warri for his secondary education from 1968 – 1974. The college was one of the elite secondary schools in the country in those days and was rated among such schools as Government College, Ughelli; Edo College, Benin City; Kings College, Lagos; St. Patrick’s College Asaba; and Government College Umuahia to mention a few.

On successful completion of secondary school in 1974, he longed for greater academic heights. Because he viewed what he had achieved so far as just like laying the foundation for a future career in life. The choices varied from Engineering to Medicine, Law to Accountancy and such other popular courses of those days. Emmanuel opted for Medicine at the University of Benin. The choice of study was not only determined by the need to have a means of livelihood, but mostly by an undying urge for selfless service through bringing succour to the sick. It is this motivation that has continued to influence his activities even outside his professional area of medicine.

He was in the University of Benin from 1975 to 1980 after which he graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS). In 1981, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan fresh from the university was posted to Kwara State for the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Here again, he excelled and stood out as a shining star. He was honoured as the most outstanding Corps Doctor in Kwara State at the end of the service year.

The award by the State’s NYSC Director was a deserving acknowledgement of his remarkable contribution to the health care delivery system. This award by a state other than his own was a clear manifestation of Dr. Uduaghan’s commitment to hard work and a desire to succeed. This was a pointer to a future life of sterling achievements.

He still needed to enrich his knowledge in his chosen career, to stock up his academic arsenal. He did this successfully by obtaining a Diploma in Anesthesia from the University of Benin after a course lasting from 1985 to 1986. A difficult and challenging course, it has to be said.

His life of work outside school has been quite interesting. He made his debut as an employed medical doctor at the Delta Steel Company (DSC) Medical center, Aladja in Delta State. Here again he continued to demonstrate his desire to contribute his best in service in his line of chosen career. He won the DSC General Manager’s prize for outstanding service. Deservedly, he rose to the rank of Senior Medical Officer (SMO), within a period of six years; another milestone on his way to success.

Between 1989 and 1994, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan served in a number of healthcare facilities such as Shell Clinic Ogunu; Westend Hospital Warri and Benoni Clinic Benin City, Edo State.

Perks for a medical doctor and consultant anesthesiologist employed in any of these hospitals were quite attractive. But Dr. Uduaghan, propelled by the urge to offer satisfactory service to the people free of the constraints of paid employment, opted to become a private medical practitioner, he then set up his own Abode Clinic in Warri in memory of his grandmother.

Outside his professional field, Dr. Uduaghan’s main preoccupation has been politics and in this, he has been successful. A grassroots politician, he was chairman and foundation Member of the All Nigerian Congress Association, Warri South Local Government Area. During the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s short lived civil rule programme, he was a founding member of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) and later rose to become an executive officer of the party. He is today a foundation member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Before then, he had served as Secretary, All Itsekiri Politicians Forum.

When the nation returned to democratic rule in May 1999, Governor James Ibori, recognising his ability to perform, appointed him into his cabinet as the Commissioner for Health. After several years of neglect under the military, the Delta state public health care system that was near collapse, underwent remarkable reforms under the astute and competent leadership of Governor Uduaghan.

Existing public hospitals and other health institutions needed rehabilitation. New ones needed to be constructed to meet growing demand. Health workers needed to be motivated. The system in short needed clinical transformation. In all these, Dr Uduaghan performed creditably to the commendation of all. During his tenure as Commissioner for Health, all the public hospitals in Delta State were rehabilitated and many upgraded. New hospitals were built across the State, while equipment was provided for better services. The out-of-stock syndrome for drugs at the hospitals became a thing of the past. Medical staffs were motivated through enhanced allowances and other benefits. In reality, the health sector came back to life and was better positioned to serve the people.

His successor must have felt relieved to have something good to build upon. In recognition of his efforts, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) honoured him as the most outstanding Health Commissioner in the South-South Zone of the country. Given such enviable background, proven ability and experience, not a few Deltans welcomed his appointment on June 6, 2003 to the exalted position of Secretary of the State Government, the engine room of government. He was in that position seen as the head of cabinet secretariat to drive the programme of that government. Most people score his performance as SSG very high. Those familiar with his pedigree were hardly surprised.

As Secretary to the State Government, he continued to display transparency, honesty and hard work. A stickler to discipline and honest service, he told a seminar organised by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) that the Ibori Administration was determined at checking unethical and fraudulent practices. His words “We will henceforth ensure that discipline is brought to bear in the conduct of our duties as public officers. If we must meet the expectations of our people who desire qualitative public service, then, of course we must necessarily be proactive and more efficient in the use of the meagre resources available”.

Addressing fellow top government functionaries at a workshop, he stressed on a familiar field, which is good governance: “The activities of government must be conducted according to laid down guidelines and procedures. There should be no short cut”.

Dr. Uduaghan can be remembered for his prominent role in conflict resolution in a state that has suffered from communal strife in the Warri area at the inception of the Ibori administration in 1999. He played a prominent role in dousing the tension and ensuring the peace and stability that now reign in the Warri area and the State in general.

A staunch supporter of resource control, true federalism and other causes of the South-South people, he has remained an arrowhead for the attainment of the crusade. His commitment is not in doubt.

Running for office of governor, Dr Uduaghan was clear in his mind what he wants to do if in charge, he once said: “The immediate direction of our government shall be to make our State accessible to all for investment, business, agriculture, commerce and improving on the welfare of the people through creation of jobs and safe neighbourhoods.”

Determined to reverse the poverty trap that has shackled the people, Governor Uduaghan’s focused policy activism through Delta Micro-credit Programme was so successful in reducing poverty and empowering the people that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) honoured him with an award as the Best Governor in reducing poverty through micro-credit scheme.

His administration’s three point agenda of Peace and Security, Human Capital Development and Infrastructure Development is best executed with precision making Delta state one of the model states in development. The Uduaghan administration is building a brand international airport in Asaba, the state capital. The Uduaghan government has been widely applauded for its innovative progamme in urban renewal and urbanization. The Uduaghan administration has won praise for its innovative policy in youth empowerment and development which has seen Delta win the National Sports for the fourth time. Governor Uduaghan’s policy on healthcare was adjudged the best in the country in area of maternal and infant mortality healthcare, which is by far the lowest in the national average. THISDAY Newspapers, one of Nigeria ’s influential newspapers gave his administration an award. Uduaghan’s government with a human face has made his administration extremely popular in the state.

On the Niger Delta crisis Governor Uduaghan has talked about political solution and the need for caution in solving that problem. He has often cited his administration’s policy of using economic development, or what he says is the carrot option and the criminal justice system to contain the criminals, who refuse to embrace the choice of peace and development of the state. To show his determination, it is on record that Governor Uduaghan is the only Governor from the region that has implemented forthrightly the policy of allocating 50% of the 13% derivation to the oil bearing communities through Delta State Oil Minerals Development Commission (DESOPADEC). His sincerity of purpose has made it possible for the state to enjoy peace and this has emboldened him to declare that the violent phase of Niger Delta struggle is over.

He has also been at the forefront of ending the small arms smuggle into the zone, which he says has helped in keeping the criminal elements active camouflaging as Niger Delta activists.
In his professional field, Dr. Uduaghan had served as Secretary, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Warri; Secretary, Association of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners, Warri Zone.

He is a member of the Jaycees International, under which auspices he attended several world congresses and activities of leadership development. He won the Award of the Most Outstanding President of Area ‘B’ of the Nigeria Chamber of Jaycees International (1989). He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). A Christian of the Baptist Faith, he is married with two children.

Since becoming chief executive, Governor Uduaghan has won numerous awards including the THISDAY AWARD OF EXCELLENCE AND EMERGING TIGER, the Central Bank of Nigeria Best Support Governor for Micro Finance and the Kwame Nkrumah leadership award by the All Africa Students Union (AASU) based in Ghana .

Governor Uduaghan is also a member of Global Governors summit led by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. The group made up of governors from across the world is committed to building cooperation amongst sub-national governments (State Governments) to address the issues of Climate Change.

Governor Uduaghan is also a founding member of R20, a group of sub-national leaders building new international frameworks and cooperation on Climate Change and the development of green economy.

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