EMMANUEL UDUAGHAN - GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan was born on October 22nd, 1954 at Abigborodo in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. He began his academic career at Baptist Primary School, Mosogar where he was a pupil from 1961 to 1966. From there, he went to the elite Federal Government College, Warri for his secondary education from 1968 to 1974.
On successful completion of his secondary education, among competing courses, he opted for the rather humanitarian career in medicine by enrolling at the University of Benin from 1975 to 1980 and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS). Imbued still with the thirst for knowledge in his chosen career, he was back at the University of Benin in 1985 for a one-year Diploma in Anaesthesia which he obtained in 1986.
Dr. Uduaghan has always been a star in his firmament garnering several awards in the process. For example, in Kwara State where he did his national service (National Youth Service Corps) in 1981/82 he was honoured as the most outstanding Corps Doctor in that state. Again at the Delta Steel Company (DSC) Medical Centre, Aladja in Delta State, where he took up a job after his service year for six years, he won the DSC General Manager’s prize for outstanding service. After stints in several hospitals, he went into private practice, setting up Abode Clinic in Warri, Delta State.
Outside his professional practice, Dr. Uduaghan’s main preoccupation has always been politics, and at different times, he was a founding member of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) during late General Sani Abacha’s transition to civil rule programme. He was also a foundation member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). When Nigeria returned to democratic rule in May 1999, the then Delta State Governor James Ibori appointed him Commissioner of Health of the state. According to observers, he brought tremendous improvements to the state’s medical services. In recognition of his efforts, the state government on June 6, 2003 appointed him to the exalted position of Secretary to the Delta State Government. He was credited to have brought many innovations to the running of the state government, especially by helping to douse the tension that had enveloped Warri and its environs for several decades.
By 2007, he presented himself as a candidate for the governorship of Delta on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and won.
His governance focus includes the pursuit of peace by creating an enabling environment for constructive dialogue and peaceful co-existence among all the stakeholders in the oil industry and communities in the state. Others are collaborating with the Federal Government to tackle underdevelopment, poverty, youth restiveness, proliferation of arms and insecurity in the Niger Delta region; reduction of the cost of running government, sanitization of public accounts, and ensuring transparency and prudence in financial management as well as prioritization of human capital development and infrastructural development.
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