Daily Sun reports that Uduaghan, who spoke on Sunday night at a ceremony in Lagos where he was conferred with the Man of the Year award by the Silverbird Television, told the President-elect that the he should not attempt to deny the aforementioned zones their dues in power sharing and resource allocation.
Uduaghan stressed that both geo-political zones were critical components of the country that should not be relegated in the power equation under any circumstance.
According to him, equity, fair play and justice were imperative ingredients in building peace in any society.
“The incoming government cannot afford to ignore the South South and South East whether or not they voted for the party,” Uduaghan said.
The man of the year award winner revealed that his three virtues were his constant guiding principles throughout his time as governor of Delta State without which the implementation of his developmental agenda would have been more challenging.
“There is no sacrifice that is too much for peace to be won, especially personal sacrifice. When I found out that the peace I laboured to build over the eight years I have been governor would be upset by my desire to seek election into the Senate, I quickly sacrificed my ambition. By laying the foundation for peace in Delta State through equity and fair play, we were able to actualise our development programmes and create a new economy under the Delta Beyond Oil initiative,” he said.
The governor further pointed out that Delta is now indisputably acknowledged as the most peaceful state in the Niger Delta, adding that the pursuit of equity as well as the passionate implementation of policies made it a reality.
He said the peace currently enjoyed in the state has brought about huge entrepreneurial potentials of the residents through the micro-credit scheme that gives access to cheap funds and professional mentoring for evolving businesses.
Uduaghan, who insisted that Delta State had been placed on the path of sustainable development that goes beyond oil economy, mentioned the provision of first class infrastructure, maternal and childcare programme that guarantees free medical care for expectant mothers and children up to five years and quality education as part of last long legacy for the state.
Commending Silverbird for the award, the governor dedicated it to the people of the state whom he said had shunned their differences to build a peaceful and united Delta State.
Meanwhile, other people honored at the accession include Chief Philip Asiodu, former Minister of National Planning and Dr. Gamaliel Onosode, frontline industrialist. They were both conferred with the Life Time Achievement Awards.
Asiodu, in his speech called for the repositioning of the core values of the civil service.
Asiodu, who was the Chief Economic Adviser to former presidents Shehu Shagari and Olusegun Obasanjo, further hinted that before the military made changes to the civil service in 1975, it was fashioned to be independent, professional and primed to serve any government in power.
He said the civil service must be returned to its core values and protected from political interference in order for Nigeria to rebuild and reinforce the institutions of good governance.
Meanwhile, Uduaghan is speculated to have started removing his hands from public events following the defeat suffered by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor reportedly shunned the May 1 workers celebration held in Asaba amid the crisis within the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)."
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