Senate President Godswill Akpabio has described the death of former Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, as shocking and a great loss to Nigeria and the Niger Delta.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, Akpabio said he received news of Uduaghan’s passing with profound shock and disbelief, just three days to his 72nd birthday.
“I received with profound shock and disbelief the news of the transition of Dr Uduaghan at the age of 71, just three days to his 72nd birthday,” Akpabio said.
Uduaghan governed Delta State from 2007 to 2015, a period Akpabio noted coincided with his own tenure as Akwa Ibom Governor.
“Dr Uduaghan was a distinguished medical doctor and a committed statesman who devoted his life to public office,” he said.
The Senate President said Uduaghan’s tenure marked a significant moment in Delta’s infrastructural development, with commitment to healthcare delivery and human capital development.
“He was a bridge-builder across the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole. He was a detribalised leader and a respected elder whose contributions to democracy and national development will be sorely missed,” he added.
Akpabio condoled the Uduaghan family, his wife Mrs Roli Uduaghan, children, government and people of Delta State, the Itsekiri nation and entire Niger Delta.
“On behalf of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I extend our deepest condolences… May Almighty God grant his gentle soul eternal rest and grant his family and the people of Delta State the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” he stated.