By Gabriel Enogholase, Egufe Yafugborhi & Akpokona Omafuaire

WARRI—GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, yesterday, at a thanksgiving service to mark his 60th birthday, expressed gratitude to God for a fulfilling life, and promised to always give glory to God in whatever situation he found himself.

UDUAGHAN @ 60 LECTURE—From right: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; the Sultan of Sokoto, and Chairman of the occasion, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Guest Lecturer, His Lordship, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah on arrival at the venue of the 60th birthday lecture for the governor held in Asaba. Photo: Henry Unini.

The governor, who read the first lesson with his wife, taken from Psalm 103, at the First Baptist Church, Warri, also expressed gratitude to the men of God who in one way or the other played various roles in making him what he is today.

According to him, “my being a governor today has created numerous enemies for people like Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Bishop Simeon Okah and other clerics, because they believed in me. At 60, God has lifted me from nothing to something.”

He recalled that in 2010, when the election petition tribunal sitting in Asaba removed him from office as governor, “I came here to this Baptist Church for a thanksgiving and when people asked me why I was doing this, I told them that the decision of the tribunal was temporary and with the hope that the same God will restore him back to office as governor.”

Earlier in his sermon, President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, blamed the challenges facing the country on “wickedness.”

Some of the dignitaries at the service were Deputy Governor of Delta State, Professor Amos Utuama (SAN); South South Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh; former Secretary to the a Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae; Senators James Manager, Ifeanyi Okowa and Emmanuel Aguariavwodo.