Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has described the late former Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, as a gentleman, bridge-builder and man of peace whose contributions to the state would endure.
Omo-Agege, in a condolence message issued on Monday, said he received the news of Uduaghan’s death with profound shock, describing it as a significant loss to Delta State.
The former senator recalled that he and Uduaghan served together under former Governor James Ibori, with Uduaghan as Secretary to the State Government and himself as Executive Assistant to the Governor.
He described the deceased as calm in times of crisis, loyal, humane and decent, adding that Uduaghan brought the compassion of a medical doctor into governance.
According to him, although their political paths later diverged, their mutual respect remained intact, with Uduaghan continuing to relate with him as a brother across party lines.
Omo-Agege said Uduaghan served Delta State in different capacities, including Commissioner for Health, Secretary to the State Government and governor between 2007 and 2015.
He also commended the late governor’s Delta Beyond Oil initiative, saying it laid foundations that continued to shape the state’s development.
“From Abigborodo to Warri, from Asaba to the creeks and plains of Delta, his gentle footprints remain,” he said.
The former Deputy Senate President extended his condolences to Uduaghan’s wife, Roli; his children, Orode and Toju; the Uduaghan family of Abigborodo; the Itsekiri Nation; former Governor James Ibori; and the government and people of Delta State.
He also expressed sympathy with all those mourning the former governor, saying his life of service and the people he touched remained a source of comfort to his loved ones.
“We take comfort in knowing that he lived well, served well, and left a legacy that will endure in the lives he touched,” Omo-Agege said.
He prayed that Almighty God would grant the deceased eternal rest and give his family the strength to bear the loss.
“Adieu, Your Excellency,” he added.
Omo-Agege is a former Deputy President of the 9th Senate and the Obarisi of Urhoboland.
