By Obinne Ralph Agbanashi
National President, National Association of Delta State Students (NADESTU), 2011
The news of the death of our former Governor, His Excellency, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, CON, has brought back a flood of memories, deep sorrow and gratitude. For many Deltans, he was a former governor whose administration left its mark on the state. For those of us who encountered him as student leaders, he was much more than that. He was a father who listened, a leader who cared and a man who understood that investing in young people was an investment in the future of Delta State.
As National President of the National Association of Delta State Students (NADESTU) in 2011, I experienced his leadership at close quarters. Those were years when student politics could be fiercely contested, with tensions sometimes threatening to undermine the peaceful conduct of elections. One of the flashpoints was the election venue at the popular Dondon Migos Secondary School in Warri, where the atmosphere could become charged with anxiety and uncertainty.
In those difficult moments, Dr Uduaghan proved to be a steady hand. Rather than treat student leaders as troublesome young people to be kept at arm’s length, he engaged us with patience and understanding. He listened to our concerns, maintained open channels of communication with our leadership and approved the necessary logistics to ensure adequate security around our election venue.
For us, his intervention went beyond providing security. It was a demonstration that the government recognised the rights of students to organise, elect their leaders and participate in democratic processes without fear. He understood that young people needed guidance and a safe environment in which to learn the responsibilities of leadership.
His calm disposition and willingness to dialogue helped to ease tensions and made our journey through student politics a valuable lesson in peaceful engagement. At a time when disagreements could easily degenerate into confrontation, he showed us that patience, communication and mutual respect could achieve more than intimidation or force.
That was the beginning of a relationship that left a lasting impression on me and many of my colleagues.
When we eventually assumed office, we discovered that access to the governor was not limited to formal meetings and official correspondence. Whether in his office or at his personal dining room, Dr Uduaghan was willing to listen to us. He did not make the process of seeking government support unnecessarily cumbersome, nor did he treat the aspirations of students as matters of little importance.
Sometimes, a discussion would end with a verbal assurance, accompanied by his characteristic reassuring nod, while the official documentation followed later. What mattered to us was that he took our requests seriously and understood the urgency behind them.
His approach was particularly evident in his response to our welfare demands. Following our engagement with him, he approved an increase in the students’ bursary from N10,000 to N20,000. For many students, that increase meant more than an adjustment in financial support. It offered some relief in meeting the everyday demands of education and represented an acknowledgement of the economic pressures facing young people in higher institutions.
To us, it was evidence of a governor who understood that the cost of education could place a heavy burden on students and their families. His willingness to respond to our concerns made us feel that our voices mattered.
He also approved two brand-new 18-seater Toyota buses for our association. The vehicles were a significant addition to our operational capacity, helping to strengthen our ability to coordinate activities and serve students across the state.
These may appear to be modest interventions when viewed against the scale of government, but their significance to a student organisation should not be underestimated. They were practical expressions of support that enabled us to function more effectively and gave us a stronger sense of responsibility to the students we represented.
Yet, Dr Uduaghan’s commitment to students went beyond immediate welfare and logistics. He understood that the future of Delta State depended on the quality of education available to its young people and the opportunities they received to develop their talents.
His administration’s sponsorship of Delta State students for overseas studies reflected that belief in human capital development. Many of those beneficiaries went abroad to acquire knowledge and professional skills, carrying with them the hopes of their families and the expectations of their state. Their continued presence in different parts of the world stands as a reminder of the possibilities that educational opportunities can create.
He also recognised that student leadership could serve as a training ground for public service. During his administration, more than 50 former student leaders were absorbed into the Delta State civil service, while others went on to occupy political and administrative positions, including appointments at the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
For those of us who passed through student leadership at the time, these opportunities sent an important message: that service to fellow students could be a foundation for greater responsibilities in society. The experience gained in organising people, managing disagreements, negotiating with authorities and defending collective interests could be useful in the wider business of governance.
His support helped many young people see public service not as a distant preserve of established political figures, but as a space in which they, too, could contribute.
Beyond his policies and interventions, however, what endeared Dr Uduaghan to many of us was his personal disposition. He was gentle in his manner, attentive in his listening and approachable in his dealings with people. He did not need to raise his voice to make his presence felt. His willingness to hear people out often created room for understanding where there might otherwise have been resentment.
He was also a detribalised leader who looked beyond ethnic and sectional interests in relating with the people of Delta State. In a state as diverse as ours, that disposition was important. His ability to engage people across divides reinforced the value of dialogue, inclusion and peaceful coexistence.
Today, as Delta State mourns his passing, I reflect not only on the projects and policies associated with his administration but also on the individual lives he touched. Infrastructure and public institutions are important measures of a governor’s legacy, but so, too, are the people whose lives are changed by the opportunities a government creates.
For the Delta student community, Dr Uduaghan’s legacy is found in the support he extended to student leadership, the improvements he approved in bursary payments, the resources he provided for our association and the opportunities that opened up for young people during his years in office.
I recall with appreciation the current Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, and his acknowledgement of the enduring contributions of his predecessor to the development of the state.
As Delta mourns a former leader whose years in office left a lasting imprint, I join in that tribute from the perspective of someone who experienced his kindness and support personally.
Dr Uduaghan has departed, but the memories remain. For those of us who benefited from his fatherly disposition, his passing is not merely the loss of a former governor. It is the loss of a mentor and a leader who gave young people reasons to believe that their aspirations could find a place in government.
Leadership is often remembered through roads constructed, institutions established and policies implemented. But there is another measure that deserves equal attention: the number of people encouraged, supported and prepared to take their place in society. By that measure, Dr Uduaghan’s impact on the student community deserves to be remembered.
He came, he served and, in his own way, he fathered a generation of Delta students. His influence will endure in the lives of those he supported, the leaders who emerged from the student movement and the beneficiaries of the opportunities he helped create.
Rest in peace, Your Excellency. You walked gently among us, but you left footprints that time will not easily erase. For the support you gave us, the doors you opened and the confidence you inspired, we remain grateful.
Delta students will remember you. I will remember you.
May your soul rest in perfect peace.
