The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council, has paid tribute to former Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan for his support for journalists’ professional development, regular engagement with the media and contributions towards the development of the union’s permanent Press Centre in the state.
The council said Uduaghan’s interactions with journalists and recognition of the media as a critical stakeholder in governance would remain part of Delta State’s history, describing his death as a painful loss to the state and the journalism community.
Uduaghan, who governed Delta State from 2007 to 2015, died on Monday, October 19, 2026, at the age of 71.
In a condolence statement jointly signed by the NUJ Delta State Council Chairman, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, and Secretary, Comrade Felix Ekwu, the union recalled the former governor’s efforts to maintain engagement with journalists throughout his administration.
The council noted that quarterly media briefings during his tenure provided opportunities for journalists to question the government on policies, programmes, projects and other issues of public interest.
It said the briefings, facilitated by the NUJ Delta State Council, formed an important part of the relationship between the administration and the organised media in the state.
The union also recalled Uduaghan’s media breakfast meetings with journalists from the Warri and Asaba axes, describing them as informal platforms for dialogue, professional interaction and the exchange of views on issues affecting the state.
Beyond these engagements, the council acknowledged the former governor’s support for journalists’ professional development, including training opportunities at the Thomson Reuters Foundation in London.
It also recognised his administration’s contributions towards the development of the NUJ Delta State Council’s permanent Press Centre, noting that the support remained part of the union’s institutional history.
The council said the former governor’s relationship with the media underscored the importance of constructive engagement between government and journalists in promoting public enlightenment, accountability and democratic governance.
It called for the sustenance of cordial and mutually respectful relations between public institutions and the media, stressing that such cooperation was essential to peace, development and good governance.
The NUJ extended its condolences to Uduaghan’s immediate family, the government and people of Delta State, the Itsekiri nation, his political associates, friends and other mourners.
The council prayed that God would grant the bereaved family the strength to bear the loss and that the soul of the former governor would rest in peace.
