Ebenezer Adurokiya, Reporting
THE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council, has mourned former Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, recalling his contributions to media development, journalists’ professional training and improved relations between government and the press during his administration.
Uduaghan, who governed Delta State from 2007 to 2015, died on Monday, October 19, 2026, aged 71.
In a condolence statement signed by its Chairman, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, and Secretary, Comrade Felix Ekwu, the council described the former governor’s death as a painful loss to Delta State and the journalism community.
The council said Uduaghan recognised the media as an important stakeholder in governance, public enlightenment and democratic accountability, noting that his administration maintained engagements with journalists on government policies, programmes and projects.
According to the NUJ, quarterly media briefings during his tenure provided opportunities for journalists to question the government and obtain information on issues of public interest. The engagements were facilitated by the union’s Delta State Council.
The council also recalled Uduaghan’s media breakfast meetings with journalists from the Warri and Asaba axes, describing the gatherings as opportunities for dialogue, professional interaction and the exchange of views on matters affecting the state.
It further acknowledged the former governor’s interest in the professional development of journalists, noting that his administration supported training opportunities for practising journalists, including a programme at the Thomson Reuters Foundation in London.
The union also highlighted the government’s contributions towards the development of its permanent Press Centre in Delta State, describing the support as part of Uduaghan’s legacy in media relations.
The council said these contributions had earned the former governor a place in the history of relations between the government and the organised media in the state.
It stressed that constructive engagement between public institutions and the press remained essential to democratic governance, with journalists playing critical roles in informing the public, promoting accountability and advancing the common good.
The NUJ called for sustained cordial and mutually respectful relations between government institutions and the media in the interest of peace, development and good governance.
The council extended its condolences to Uduaghan’s immediate family, the Delta State Government and people, the Itsekiri nation, his political associates, friends and others mourning his death.
It also prayed for God to grant the bereaved family and loved ones the strength to bear the loss and for the peaceful repose of the former governor’s soul.
“Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan may have departed this world, but his contributions to public service and his engagements with the journalism community will remain part of Delta State’s history,” the council said.
