By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

‘The truth is that if you know where we are coming from, in terms of the politics of the state, then you will know what this means to us,” the Delta State commissioner for information, Mr. Chike Ogeah remarked recently in response to the recent flow of awards to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Mr. Ogeah’s assertion was undoubtedly reflective of the difficult challenges that characterized the leadership of the state at the onset of the administration in 2007. On assumption of office the administration was faced with several challenges including security challenges in its coastal region. Besides, the circumstances and ethnic mudslinging that characterised the governorship election of 2007 added to the cynicism on the prowess and potentials of the then neophyte governor.

“There were lots of skeptics, because of the background where the governor was coming from, who felt that this man was not going to achieve. Now, they have all seen his accomplishments in all areas,” Mr. Ogeah added.

The Sun Man of the Year award received by Governor Uduaghan penultimate weekend was just one of several awards that have been received by the governor in recent times. The governor has also won 2013 Man of the Year Award of Leadership Newspaper, Pilot Newspaper Man of the Year, and from overseas, he was also bestowed with the International Outstanding Leadership Award by Metro Éireann, Ireland’s leading and only multi-cultural newspaper.

Undoubtedly, the crown in the jewel is the Vanguard 2013 Personality of the Year also won by the governor for what the newspaper cited as the intrinsic touch of the administration on the citizenry from conception, through infanthood, to school age.

Landmark achievements

The investiture of that award coming at a later date will see friends and associates of the state gather to celebrate the landmark achievements of the administration.

The initial challenges the administration was faced with could have led to the formulation of the three point agenda by Dr. Uduaghan at the beginning of the life of the administration.

The agenda at that time was human capital development, peace and security and infrastructure development.

The administration’s bold attempt at resolving the spate of insecurity in the coastal regions where militants had at one time reigned supreme was quickly noticed and helped in defining the broader peace initiative by the Federal Government that translated into the Amnesty Programme.

Besides the insecurity fanned by the militants, was also the spate of insecurity stirred by kidnappers and robbers across the state. The challenge of insecurity led the administration to make heavy investments in security infrastructure.

In the area of infrastructure, the administration changed the transportation model in the state with the establishment of an airport in Asaba, the state capital that radically reshaped traveling times for businessmen and other investors in the state.

Besides, the administration has touched the road infrastructure with some major roads that had been long abandoned being rehabilitated.

A number of state roads have been rehabilitated and some dualised among which were Ugbenu-Koko Road, Trans Warri/Ode-ltsekiri Roads and bridges, dualisation of Old Lagos/Asaba Road, Agbor, dualisation of Ughelli-Asaba Road, Sapele/Abigborodo/Arowon Road, Umeh Road, dualisation of Refinery Road with Sgur Along NNPC Housing Estate Road to Ekpan Roundabout, Effurun, Dualisation of Ughelli Arterial Road, Olomu Bridge and Access Road, Udu/NEPA Road, Dualisation of Effurun-Osubi-Eku Road, lssele-Uku/Onicha-Uku/Ugbodu/Ukwunzu/Obomkpa/ldumu-Ogo/lssele-Uku Road, dualisation of PTI/Jakpa/Ekpan Road, Koko/Uba-Egbelemeji Road, Ekiugbo-lyede/Olomoro Road among others. In the area of health infrastructure the administration has also made a bold statement in setting up the state as an increasing centre for medical tourism with the opening of a state of the art health institution in Oghara.

The three point agenda of the administration were in the second term subsumed by the larger vision of Delta Beyond Oil, a bold initiative by the administration to position the state above the shocks of unsteady oil revenue in the future. The initiative which focuses on agriculture, culture and tourism and infrastructural development, among others, it is envisioned, would help put the state economy on a steady footing that would absorb whatever inadequacies that may be lacking from lack of oil flow. That is, finishing strong.