Uduaghan takes oath, pledges good governance

Posted by admin Delta, State News Monday, January 10th, 2011

BARELY 72 days after he was sacked from office by a Benin Appellate Court, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan was yesterday sworn-in as governor of Delta State by the Chief Judge, Justice Abiodun Smith.

Meanwhile, a protest match allegedly organised by the faithful of the defeated Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) governorship candidate in last week’s Delta re-run election, Chief Great Ogboru, to register their displeasure over the conduct of the re-run election, were yesterday dispersed by a team of policemen in Warri.

Uduaghan, who won last week’s re-run election was sworn in at about 5:15 p.m. at the Cenotaph Asaba. He pledged to run a corruption free government. Earlier, his deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN), was sworn in.

He told the crowd at the ceremony, which included Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, some traditional rulers and top members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that his victory offered a fresh beginning to Deltans.

While extending a hand of fellowship to his opponents who lost in the re-run election, the returnee governor warned his aides that it would no longer be business as usual.
He said: “We will run a corruption free government. No more room for frivolous spending. I will listen more and do more to make Delta a better place.”

Uduaghan said that he would run an all-inclusive government and will not victimise his opponents and those who voted against him, stressing that the victory was a wakeup call to duty. The police alleged that the conveners of the protest were not authorised and did not get permit from the police before staging the protest, hence it was declared illegal.

As early as 8 a.m. yesterday, aggrieved loyalists of DPP, mostly youths, had begun arriving the Urhobo College mustering point in their hundreds. From where they hoped to take off and match through Warri’s major streets and environs, to protest the alleged irregularities in the rerun.
But to their surprise at about 9:34 a.m. anti-riot policemen in 11 Hilux SUVs led by the Area Commander and his DPOs stormed the venue and dispersed the large crowd.

“They drove in into the venue and threatened to shoot us if we failed to leave the place immediately,” one of the protesters told The Guardian yesterday. It was learnt that nobody was molested but the conveners of the protest said they intend to reconvene tomorrow.

Nevertheless, the embattled Governor Uduaghan is set to participate in the governorship primaries of his party, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state today.
Speaking to reporters after collecting his certificate of return as the elected governor after last Thursday’s re-run polls in the state from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, the governor said he would participate in the primaries to kick start his second term in office.

-Guardian

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