Organized labor declares strike in Delta State

Organized labor has declared a strike in Delta State following the controversial death of a civil servant, Mr Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, after an altercation at the office of the state Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu.

The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) has declared a dispute with the Delta State government and ordered workers to withdraw their services with immediate effect, following the death of the 54-year-old deputy director.

The incident generated conflicting accounts, with the commissioner denying any involvement in an alleged assault on the deceased, while the family accused individuals allegedly acting on the commissioner’s instructions of violently attacking Adeda.

The Delta State Police Command has launched an investigation into the incident and confirmed the arrest of a suspect, identified as Lucky Adoh. Police also said efforts were underway to arrest other people allegedly linked to the incident.

The commissioner denies having ordered the attack

Ashibogwu has denied allegations that he ordered anyone to attack Adeda or assaulted him personally.

According to the commissioner, the deceased became physically aggressive during the confrontation and allegedly attacked him and other office employees.

“Oh, I didn’t. In fact, the man even attacked me, he attacked people in the office. There are video clips of him using his private vehicle to hit the staff vehicle.”

“Before I knew what was happening, it was an attack on me, physically. Direct attack. My clothes are there. I never ordered anyone to touch him, I never touched him,” he said.

The commissioner also claimed that Adeda had threatened some workers before returning to confront him.

He maintained that he was not involved in any assault on the deceased and said video footage of the incident could help establish what happened.

The family gives a different account

However, Adeda’s sister Ovwigho gave a different account of the incident, claiming that her brother was brutally attacked at work before being taken to hospital.

She said she received a distress call informing her that Adeda had been badly beaten and that she later found him tied up inside a vehicle at the hospital.

“I saw him tied up like a criminal. His whole body was dirty, blood was coming out of his mouth and nose and his head was severely swollen,” he said.

According to Ovwigho, her brother told her that he was summoned by the commissioner before he was attacked by men who were allegedly acting on the commissioner’s orders.

He said the extent of his injuries was serious and said photographs taken after the crash showed the condition in which he had been left.

The allegations from the deceased’s family, however, have not been independently established, as the police investigation is expected to determine the circumstances of the accident and the events leading up to Adeda’s death.

The police arrest the suspect and start the investigation

The Delta State Police command intervened in the matter, announcing the arrest of a suspect while launching a manhunt against other individuals allegedly linked to the incident.

Command spokesperson SP Bright Edafe said the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department would conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.

According to police, investigators will review video footage, interview eyewitnesses and review relevant medical records as part of efforts to establish what happened.

The police investigation is expected to determine the circumstances of the alleged assault, the identities and roles of those involved and the events leading up to Adeda’s death.

The NLC declares the strike

The development also sparked an industrial dispute between organized labor and the Delta state government.

NLC president Goodluck Ofobruku said workers could no longer accept what he described as an unsafe working environment for public servants.

“We are declaring a dispute with the Delta State Government. As such, we will be withdrawing our services with immediate effect.

“Whoever is responsible for the beating of this worker that led to his untimely death must be reported before he can return,” he said.

The union is calling for anyone believed to be responsible for the incident to be held accountable before workers return to their jobs.

The government constitutes the committee

In addition to the police investigation, the Delta State Government has constituted an administrative committee to investigate the circumstances of Adeda’s death.

The committee is chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Service Chief, Mrs Charity Ehimen, and has been given two weeks to complete her assignment.

The government assured public employees of the safety of their workplaces and reiterated its commitment to respect the dignity and sanctity of life.

The commission’s findings, together with the police investigation, are expected to provide further clarity on the circumstances of the public servant’s death.

For now, conflicting accounts from the commissioner and the family of the deceased remain under investigation, while the arrest of a suspect and the declaration of a union strike have heightened tension over the incident in Delta state.