Since his passing October 19, 2026, I have been short of words. In our tradition, we are not to speak ill of the dead. Even if he was the devil incarnate, we still wish his “gentle soul” to rest in peace. That is hypocrisy. But all those whose paths crossed that of Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan in the various political offices he held – as health commissioner, secretary to the state government and ultimately as Governor of Delta State, would agree that he was truly a gentle soul, a man of peace, selfless, compassionate, empathetic, humane and generous. He was his brother’s keeper.
And these attributes shaped his policies while in government – maternal and child healthcare programme which covered antenatal care, childbirth, Caesarean sections and essential medical tests for pregnant women and nursing mothers, with the aim of reducing maternal deaths and easing the financial burden of childbirth on families; bursaries for undergraduates and scholarship scheme for Delta State indigenes who graduated with first-class degrees from Nigerian universities, a transport system that worked, and micro-credit scheme that empowered young entrepreneurs and cooperative societies.
I read the testimony of many women who benefited from free caesarean sections at the state’s hospitals, and as a journalist, I was aware of how he intervened in the medical treatments of indigent Deltans and non-Deltans with life-threatening sicknesses. Milk of human kindness flowed from his heart.
He was media friendly and accessible to journalists and did a lot to enhance their professionalism and personal welfares. As part of his human capital development programme, he sponsored over 40 journalists for training at the Thomson Reuters Foundation Institute in London and facilitated the building of a secretariat for the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists.
He took criticisms with calm equanimity and was always ready to give his own side of the story over any allegation rather than attempt to suppress it.
He was not perfect; no one is. But he did his best, and many of his critics only came to appreciate him after he left office, and they had to compare him to the one who succeeded him.
On Thursday, October 22, Uduaghan would have celebrated his 72nd birthday surrounded by loved ones. But sadly, birthday felicitations were replaced with emotional tributes and dirges.
I thank God for the privilege of knowing you and being part of your immediate family. You always called me Madam TELL. Thank you for the great impact on my organisation through your patronage. We will forever cherish that friendship. My heartfelt condolences to Her Excellency, Deaconess Roli Uduaghan. You have lost a soul mate. May God stand by you and comfort you. The Lord is near the broken-hearted. To Orode and Toju, the Father of the fatherless will not leave you alone.
Sleep well, Asamaigor!