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Tag: Uduaghan

  • Delta sponsors 16 for London training

    Delta sponsors 16 for London training

    Sixteen journalists from the print and electronic media will on Monday begin a one-week training at the Thomson Reuters Institute in London.

    They are sponsored by the Delta State Government.

    The theme of the training is “Investigative Journalism” and will focus on ethics and the principles of investigation in news writing.

    The training is the second to be sponsored by the Delta State Government. Last year, 12 journalists were at the same institute for training.

    Giving approval for the training, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, said it is in line with his administration’s programme of building human capacity in all spheres of endeavours. According to him, as the watch dog of the society and being in the vanguard of the protection of democratic values, journalists need to sharpen their skills to meet the challenges of news writing in an increasing global village.

    The team which comprises correspondents of major print and electronic media in the state as well the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Mr. Austin Mowah, will be led by the Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, who will declare the training open.

  • Uduaghan seeks adequate health data

    Uduaghan seeks adequate health data

    Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan yesterday urged the Federal Government to provide adequate statistics to enable comprehensive provision of healthcare to the people.

    He described the absence of data as an impediment to the provision of infrastructure, service and development in the country.

    Uduaghan spoke yesterday in Lagos during the convocation of students of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

    The governor, who is a doctor, was conferred with the fellowship of the institution.

    Challenging the Federal Office of Statistics on data gathering, he said: “Most of the diseases we suffer from today could be avoided if our people and communities keep a clean environment.”

    He announced the sponsorship of the one year training abroad of graduates of the National Medical Postgraduate College of Delta State origin.

    The governor was honoured with senior colleagues who have distinguished themselves in medical practice.

    Presenting the award, the college’s president , Dr Victor Wakwe, said: “The award came in recognition of his numerous contributions to the development of higher education and advancement of medical knowledge in Nigeria.

    ”As commissioner for health, all the public hospitals in Delta State were rehabilitated and many upgraded.

    “New hospitals were built across the state; while equipment was provided for better services.

    “The out-of-stock syndrome for drugs at the hospitals became a thing of the past.

    “Medical staff were motivated through enhanced allowances and other benefits. The health sector came back to life and was better positioned to serve people.”

    Acknowledging the award, Uduaghan said: “Though many complain that we spend on education, but we do spend more on security than we do education.

    “Deltans need to move with the trend of development taking place globally, hence there is no regret spending on training for Deltans, here or overseas.

    “It is a huge investment, and the state and Nigeria will be better for it.

    “There is the need to also work on the statistics of the country. What we have, are they correct to be pushed out?”

    The college said 285 got the fellowship through examination.

    Two fellows– Dr L.I.D Kufeji and Dr O.A Afonja– got the Distinguished Fellowship award because of their numerous services to the college.

    “Dr Uduaghan got his award because of the love for his profession, service to his state and the Nigerian Medical Association and its organs,” the college president, said.

  • Letter to Uduaghan

    It is an honour and pleasure to write this letter to you, sir. Sorry, it is coming on the pages of a newspaper. I would have loved to write to you directly, but protocols would not allow that. Hence, I am using this medium. I have the confidence that you would take time to read this and act with the urgency the issue deserves.

    I have been an admirer of your administration and personality, chiefly because you have taken a lot of interest in the educational wellbeing of the youth of Delta State, and partly because of your orientation as a medical doctor, a profession that has placed you at a vantage position compared to your contemporaries.

    Since your inauguration, you have displayed great commitment in giving a new face to human capital development as enshrined in your three-point agenda. With lofty ideas such as micro-credit programmes, free maternal and rural health care programmes, payment of West African Examination Council (WAEC) fees for secondary school students, youth empowerment through agriculture and farmers’ support programme (YETA-FSP), among others, you have simply shown that you are a listening governor with a desire to make the state shine among its peers.

    Your developmental strides, particularly in the field of education, has made you the toast of many educationists in the state. Since inception, your administration has not left anyone in doubt concerning its educational objectives.

    Majority of youths in higher institutions, including myself, have been benefiting from your bursary scheme, which you increased from N10,000 to N20,000 annually. The state’s undergraduate/post graduate scholarship scheme, which you resuscitated in 2010 for exceptional students of Delta origin in universities to which I am also a beneficiary, is a testament to the fact that you are a governor with a difference.

    Also, law graduates in Nigerian law school have been benefiting from education scheme, which you show to them annually by giving them scholarship of N100,000. The N5 million that you give to First Class graduates from the state origin irrespective of the university they attended, is unparalleled anywhere in the country.

    In line with your three-point agenda, your administration has vigorously pursued an infrastructural development in ‘many’ areas in the state. Key projects such as Asaba International Airport, which is expected to boost economic activities in the state, would open for activities, massive construction and dualisation of roads including Asaba-Warri road, construction of bridges across the states, sports development and the empowerment of our athletics, are a few of your programme in infrastructural renewal.

    To the crux of the epistle: you would have wondered why I used “many areas” of the state and not “all areas of the state” while acknowledging your infrastructural developmental strides. This is because it appears to me that some places in the state are being neglected in terms of development.

    Let me draw your attention to the deplorable state of strategic road in Abraka, a community in Ethiope East Local Government Area, which hosts the Delta State University. Although, the road was not built by the state government; the construction was done by the Federal Government to link Agbor to Sapele prior to the construction of another one, which now links the two communities. To say the Abraka road is a death trap would be an understatement; it is increasingly becoming dangerous for commuters and motorists.

    Most first timers to Abraka community, having noticed the developmental strides of your administration, are forced to ask this question: “Why is Abraka left out in infrastructural development?” This question is necessary because apart from the DELSU in the community, there is absolutely no evidence that the Abraka is part of Delta State because there is absolutely nothing that suggests the presence of government in the community.

    It lacks any intra-community road network; pipe-borne water is non-existent and people are not even expecting in the near future. Generating sets dotted the landscape of the community because there is hardly a steady power supply, especially when the school is in session.

    The rate of kidnapping in the community has increased; this is evident with the constant kidnapping of both lecturers and non-academic staff of the university. This increase in the rate of kidnapping may not be unconnected to the fact that there are many hinterlands in the community which could serve as haven for criminals because there are no access roads.

    Sir, this single road in the community has become a burden to the people of Abraka community. There is no drainage on the road that can channel water away during raining season. This situation has led to flood several times, affecting businesses and wellbeing of people in the area.

    When the road was constructed, there was relatively no activity in the area which perhaps made the contractor that built it not to contract drainage with it but since it became the commercial nerve-centre of the community, successive administrations including yours, sir, have neglected the road.

    Ethiope East LGA, of which the community is a part, is not one of the flood-prone areas in the state yet the effect of the man-made flood on the road, occasioned by the lack of drainage is worst than some of the identified flood disaster in Delta. These days, even a little rain results to flood on the road, a development that makes it pothole-ridden.

    Sir, as a true Deltan with the interest of the people at heart, I enjoin you to urgently come to the aid of the people of the community and build infrastructure in the area. This you need to do by putting aside political differences to prove that you are indeed a governor with a difference.

    Thank you for your time to read this.

     

    •Philip, 500-Level Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering, DELSU

  • ‘Nothing wrong with Uduaghan starting project he can’t finish’

    Chike Ogeah is the Delta State Commissiner for Information. In this interview with OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE , he speaks about the efforts of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to develop the state and its people, saying there is nothing wrong in the administration starting a project for his successor to complete.

    Delta State has witnessed development in many fronts in the last 14 years of democracy; what is your assessment for its future?

    Your question insinuates that you understand that development is a continuum; it flows from one administration to another. I can assure you that when this administration came on board I know that the priority at that time was completing a lot of the projects that it inherited. By the second term, Gov Uduaghan enunciated his vision for the state, which was a Delta beyond hydrocarbon resources. We see everyday where even the western powers that depend on our oil have discovered shale oil which is a cheaper alternative for them. We also know that natural resources could dry up.

    So what Governor Uduaghan has done, looking at the topography and terrain of Delta State, he has taken a birds-eye view and said we have the economic zone of the South with its seaports, Free Trade Zones in Koko and Warri and all the activities of the oil multinational companies. Chevron has a massive EGTL project which employs over 10,000 people and all the facilities of the oil companies are there. So whether you like it or not that is the economic hub of the State.

    He looks at the Asaba axis which is the administrative capital but that capital has a very strategic advantage for being 10 minutes away from the massive markets at Onitsha and Nnewi and establishes the Asaba Airport close by. Immediately that was done (it) served as game changer for the whole senatorial zone because that singular activity in aviation translated to unprecedented development in real estate, hospitality and industrial clusters around the airport.

    The Asaba airport has been earmarked as a cargo airport by the Federal Government. The terrain of the state, with these initiatives, has changed overnight and to complete this transformation he envisioned the Ughelli-Asaba dualisation project to link both zones. The road project was so ambitious and the government had to secure a bond from the capital market, and that money is tied irrevocably to the project.

    The whole idea is that when this is done our merchants who normally go to Lagos to clear their goods from the ports will not need to go that way. They will make a shorter journey to Warri or Koko port when that is all sorted out and reduces a lot of manpower and increases our activity here and we will see the booming of our economy.

    We also realise that government resources are not unlimited and in this regard we employed the PPP model to finish the other 5-star projects. The Warri Industrial Park project which is billed to be an amalgamation of massive industries in one place is one of such projects.

    In Udu in Delta Central we have put another 5star project there known as the Oleri Theme Park which is our version of Disney world. This aimed at jumpstarting tourism. These areas are the where we have comparative advantage in our quest to grow the State’s economy beyond oil. If oil is of no more consequence, we can still run our economy.

    We are also into medical tourism with the 5 star teaching hospital in Oghara, acknowledged as one of the best in Africa, because we now have an agreement with a university in the U.S to provide first class manpower and technology exchange programme. We have performed hip replacement surgery , organ transplants .

    The new slogan of the Uduaghan administration is “to finish strong” does it not presupposes that the government started very poorly in its first tenure?

    No, it does not, it just tells us to redouble our efforts, pull up our bootstraps. Even if government started poorly, which it didn’t, the finishing is the most important thing. I would not deny the fact that we had a lot of distractions. It was only in Delta that we had two elections and after the elections we went into another era of litigations but we continued to work despite these distractions. After the judgment of the Supreme Court we have rededicated ourselves and put all our efforts into finishing strong.

    Can you please explain the snail pace of many of the projects embarked upon by the Uduaghan government?

    I can tell one thing, the pace of our projects usually does not depend on government a lot of the time. For instance we are building a road project which traverses a lot of communities. In community C or D the youths block the road refusing our contractor access to site and start making unreasonable monetary demands. This was being done all around the State and this slows down projects until Governor Uduaghan got upset and threatened that such projects will be removed to more peaceful communities because there are so many other communities yearning for these projects.

    Secondly, government is not the private sector, we are just travellers that would come and go. When we go it is the documents we leave behind that speak for us, that is why government goes out of its way to observe due process. A lot of our processes might by slow, in choosing contractors, in making sure they get all the advance payment guarantees, and to know that these contractors can perform and these things take a long time to go between them and the banks. So by the time you look at the contracting processes and frustration we get from the communities our projects are perceived as slow.

    Is it not disingenuous for the Uduaghan administration to embark on grandiose projects when it knows it cannot complete them within the time allocated to his administration?

    That is the problem with Nigeria and that is why we are still where we are today. The whole country and indeed states as federating units must have a grand plan. I remember my boss, Chief Phillip Asiodu, he used to say that the last time Nigeria had a national plan was in the 60s. Then they had the rolling plans, that is, the short, medium and long term plans.

    If you want to industrialise your society, you must plan for 50 years ahead and you must have a road map and keep at it. Irrespective of the succeeding administration whether they are from your party or not, it does not matter, just put down the project that you know will jumpstart the economy and for the benefit of the people, such that the people will take ownership of the project, because when people take ownership of the project, when a new government comes and wants to discontinue it, it is the people that they will have to confront.

    I think it is a laudable thing which we have not been doing in Nigeria. Yes, this project cannot be completed within the tenure of the government, but if this project can truly change the landscape of the society, free us from the jaws of poverty, create employment, I think these are projects that should be followed up to completion.

    Given the snail pace in the renovation of primary and secondary schools in the state, there is the argument that it is too little too late?

    I disagree with your assessment .What you might say is that because we have so many. The whole idea is to renovate all of the 1,206 primary and 486 secondary schools and we have gone along way. Even in the old colleges of yore. Over 300 schools have been renovated apart from the brand new school we are building which is a model for every school in Delta State.

    So, you see there are two things going on side by side, the building of the new model schools which should be the yardstick for all schools in Delta and the complete renovation of those old which we want to bring to the standard of the new ones which are ICT compliant, modern classrooms across the State. I think it is a commendable policy.

    What is your assessment of the Uduaghan government in the last 6 years?

    I am, perhaps, the wrong person to direct this question at because I am the spokesman of government but looking at it dispassionately I think Gov Uduaghan is a big vision man in the sense that he has a massive vision of what he wants from Delta State. Yes, to the ordinary eye it might look grandiose and unattainable. I can assure you in another two years, just before we leave I will love to have another interview with you and you will see where we are going to.

    Though, it might not be 100 per cent clear to the ordinary eye, I can see the vision. I have bought into the vision and that is why I talk passionately about it. This is a vision that will change the economic landscape of Delta State and propel us into the 21st century.

     

  • Delta favoured by God, says Uduaghan

    Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has attributed the success of his administration to the faithfulness of God.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sunny Ogefere, said the governor spoke during the Annual Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship Programme, tagged: “DELTA YADAH 2013-An Evening of Thanksgiving”, held in Asaba, the state capital.

    He urged people to continue to pray for the peace and unity of the state.

    Uduaghan explained that his administration has been able to achieve so much because the power of God was at work.

    “Delta State has gone through several phases since creation; there has been challenges, crisis and violence, but in the midst of all these troubles, God listened and intervened. All that we have achieved so far is by the grace of God.

    “He is a God of peace; an unchanging God, he brought peace to Delta State, he listens to us in times of trouble and has continued to bind the state together as an indivisible entity.

    “I thank God for this and for all he has done for this administration to move the state forward.”

    The governor praised the special guest artiste, Lionel Peterson, an international gospel artiste from South Africa, for his inspirational songs.

    He said the artiste’s songs have always motivated him to be firm and steadfast in the Lord.

     

  • Christian pilgrimage, an enriching spiritual experience —Uduaghan

    As the World Sango Festival continues today, last Monday marked the celebration of Aje Oloja Day at the festival.

    The day was marked with colourful celebration with market women from different parts of Nigeria who came to celebrate with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III.

    Speaking on the occasion, chairperson and Iyaloja-General of the federation, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu – Ojo, said all traders make effort to impact on the economy of the nation.

    According to her, this Sango Festival, as organized, is the first time the Yoruba nation will come together to celebrate cultural unity, devoid of any form of politics.

    She noted that activities of the market women are the central oiling machine for the economy, noting that without the market women, trade and commerce would not succeed.

    She added that the location of market attracts the siting of financial institutions, thereby causing growth and expansions in the banking sector.

     

  • Uduaghan: editors’ role crucial

    Uduaghan: editors’ role crucial

    Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan said yesterday in Asaba that editors have a role to play in shaping and sustaining democracy.

    He spoke when the leadership of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), led by the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, visited him, as the ninth edition of the NGE’s Annual National Editors Conference begins.

    The governor said members of the Guild could shape and sustain democracy by ensuring that the media organisations they work for hold government accountable to the people.

    He hailed the Guild for its recent successful election and said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could learn a lot from it.

    Uduaghan also thanked the editors for choosing the state as the venue for the conference.

    He urged them to discuss the issues relating to the 2015 general elections and proffer solutions to possible problems that could arise.

    “I believe the editors have a big role in shaping democracy in the country,” Uduaghan said.

    He enjoined the visitors to set a period aside to go round the state and assess what his administration has done.

    Adesina assured the governor that the meeting would be a special one and thanked the state government for accepting to host the conference. He lauded the governor for the infrastructural development in the state capital, adding that members had already seen the work done by the government. The theme of the conference is: “Nigeria beyond oil: Role of the editor.”

    At the opening ceremony yesterday, former Ogun Governor Segun Osoba hailed the Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Pius Anyim Pius, for being a rallying point of parties.

    Osoba, who is the chairman of the conference, said Anyim had been discussing vital national issues with the political parties, irrespective of their affiliations.

    He recalled a discussion held by major stakeholders on the eve of the conference where it was agreed that Nigeria “must survive as an entity”.

    Osoba also praised the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, for his support to democracy.

    He said Maku had been a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) since his youthful days.

    Osoba said with Maku, NADECO had a representative in government.

    He hailed Uduaghan for his support to the NGE’s annual conference.

  • Governors determined to check oil theft, says Uduaghan

    Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has said the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) is determined to check the challenge of oil theft in the country.

    Answering questions from reporters at the venue of the factional NGF meeting on Sunday, Uduaghan said the measures taken by the Forum to support the Federal Government were paying off.

    According to him, the Forum had to do something after the shutdown of two major pipelines (Trans-Niger and Nembe) led to the combined loss of about 300,000 barrels per day.

    “This resulted in the drop of our oil output from 2.5million bpd to 2.1million bpd. But as I speak today, the two pipelines vandalised and damaged have been repaired and re-opened,” he said.

    He said the cooperation and vigilance of all Nigerians were necessary to check illegal oil bunkering, which has reduced the socio-economic potential of the country.

    Speaking on the participation of Delta State-born Blessing Okagbare in the on-going International Athletics Championships in Moscow, Russia, the governor expressed satisfaction at her performance so far.

    He praised Okagbare’s feat in clinching the silver medal in Long Jump and encouraged her to be focused in the determination to secure a gold medal.

    Uduaghan promised that his administration would continue to support the athlete and other youths, who are prepared to make a living out of sports.

    Briefing reporters after the Forum’s meeting, the vice chairman and Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, said the NGF has resolved to streamline its position on the on-going review of the constitution and come up with a common position for the governors.

    The governors also considered the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and appealed to lecturers to call it off in the interest of the nation’s educational development.

  • Uduaghan: Combating poverty with health-care

    Uduaghan: Combating poverty with health-care

    The healthcare portfolio of Delta State has witnessed a steady and upward boost since its inception on August 27, 1991. The progress recorded in the health care sector in the past 22 years, especially since 1999 can be described as phenomenonal. The sector, particularly witnessed fundamental policy engineering under the

    administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan with focus on enhanced healthcare delivery in the state. Today, Delta State stands out as one of the healthcare-conscious states in the federation on account of the accessibility of healthcare facilities to its citizens both in the urban and rural areas.

    Delta State, pursuant to one of Uduaghan administration’s three point agenda of human capital development, was the first among the 36 states of the federation to introduce and successfully implement the free maternal health care and the free rural scheme now being studied for implementation by some other states. This is in keeping with MDG goals.

    The state today boasts of six central hospitals, one General Hospital each in the 25 local government areas of the state, and comprehensive health centres spread across the states as well as primary health centres in almost every community in the state. It also boasts of a world class Oghara University Teaching Hospital, which ranks as one of the best in Africa with state-of-the-art facilities.

    To ensure adequate manpower for the sector, government under the Uduaghan administration has established a number of Nursing and Midwifery schools as well as a school of Health Technology across the three senatorial districts of the state.

    As an icing on the cake of its healthcare policies, the Uduaghan administration introduced the free rural health programme which ensures that health care delivery (men, materials and accessories) are moved from one rural area to another, dispensing quality healthcare service, covering all ailments, including surgeries, to all Deltans-young and old. Tens of thousand of Deltans have received effective healthcare service from this programme since inception with many immensely relieved, as well as enjoy the care at the hands of medical experts who run the motorized ultra modem clinics.

    Some evidence of the success of the Delta government healthcare programme is from the several testimonies of those it has impacted the most – the people. For instance, there was case of Ogechukwu Monye 24, in Oshimili North local government area, from Ibusa, who regained her sight after she was treated by the medical team on the rural health programme which was widely published.

    After her miraculous healing, the 24 year old said, “As you can see me now, I can see with both eyes. I am short of words to express my sincere gratitude to the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan for making it possible for me to see again and for saving the lives of many people like me. Only God will sufficiently reward and strengthen them”.

    Another example is the case of an 85 years old peasant farmer, Raphael Enebeli, from Emuhu, Ika South local government area. He was successfully operated of cataract and Hernia. Pa Enebeli while reliving his happiness said, “My family will forever remain grateful to Governor Uduaghan for saving lives. May God continue to guide him and protect him as he pilots the affairs of the state”.

    Mary Igbiwie, 42 years, from Kolokolo, Warri North local government area though resides in Agbor, said “I was married for many years but could not bear children due to fibroid. I had no money to go for the surgery. I managed to get pregnant after a long time but since I had my child 11 years ago, I could not conceive again. I was advised to go for surgery to enable me conceive again but could not afford N150,000 charged in a hospital in Benin-city, Edo State and N120,000 in another hospital in Warri”.

    “When I heard of the state free rural health scheme, I did not believe that such expensive surgery could be done free of charge. I finally trapped them at Kwale. Initially I was afraid but the medical team calmed me down. They were very humane and kind hearted. The surgery was done successfully. God will bless Uduaghan for me”.

    There are plethora of cases similar to Mrs Igbinu Chinyere Nwaogu, 37 from Omumu, Ika South local government area. She was operated of fibroid. Earlier she could not afford N80,000 bill before help came through rural healthcare programme of Uduaghan. There were many more. Among these were Ugochi Nwose 36, from Okpanam, Oshimili North local government area who contended with acute waist pain and serial miscarriage linked with fibroid and Ngozi Nmose, from Ewuru-Agbor who got the fibroid which plagued her for years removed.

    Rosemary Obuseh lived with fibroid due to her inability to afford N100,000, before the regime of free rural healthcare. Suzana Ozorji, 55, from Emu-Obodeti had carried virginal prolepsics for 24 years. She said, “sometimes I noticed that my womb was always coming out, I used my hand to push it back whenever it happened. My family could nor afford the cost of corrective surgery over the years. The Uduaghan rural health team did the surgery for me free of charge”.

    They all said in their testimonies: “if we were to pay money, it wouldn’t have been this quick and easy. God will bless our governor, bless his family, everything he touches and all the people working with him”

    In the explanation of Dr. (Mrs) Akpe, Aghogho, a member of the medical team, over 60 persons had undergone surgeries at the Mobile Field Hospital between 2011 and 2013, since the scheme commenced out of which 38 cases were cataract extractions, hemorrhage (pile) and lymphoma. She also added that major surgeries close to 15 were referred to the central hospitals.

    It is also true and I agree with Mrs Esewezie, wife of the Ika South transition committee chairman, who observed that records have shown that since the inception of this scheme mobidity and life expectancy have improved in the state. Good life is here.

    Overall, I want to say that Delta State under the watch of Uduaghan has in the past 5-6 years established herself as pace setter in Nigerian health sector through the initiation and implementation of sound, people oriented health policy.

    Idama, lives in Delta State

  • Ewherido’s replacement: No anointed choice, says Uduaghan

    Ewherido’s replacement: No anointed choice, says Uduaghan

    Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, has denied reports that he has anointed a candidate for the Delta Central Senatorial seat rendered vacant by the death of Senator Pius Ewherido, last month.

    Ewherido died in Abuja after a brief illness. His death has led to intense politicking by members of his Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

    However, speaking after inaugurating judge of the Customary Court of Appeal and Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy in Asaba, Uduaghan said he had no preferred candidate for the senatorial seat, stressing that it was the responsibility of PDP members in the senatorial district to nominate a candidate.

    He said: “I have not anointed anybody for the forth coming election in Delta Central Senatorial District. Any candidate that wants to vie for that position must be nominated by PDP members from the district and should be a candidate acceptable to all members of the district. We are ready to come out to campaign for that person.”

    Speaking further, he explained that PDP will do all in its power to win back that senatorial seat and charged the party members to work assiduously to produce a candidate to enable the party work as a united front for its success in the by-election election.

    On local government council election, Governor Uduaghan disclosed that plans were already in top gear to conduct the elections in the state as the State Independent Electoral Commission was set to deliver on this responsibility.

    He promised to lead the campaign for the Peoples Democratic Party candidates in that election.