The Nigeria Labour Congress, Delta State Council, on Friday shut the state secretariat in Asaba following the death of a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Secondary Education, Mr Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda.
The action followed reports that Adeda died in a hospital on Friday, a day after an alleged confrontation at the Prof. Chike Odozien Secretariat. Workers locked the entrances to the complex and demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The development disrupted official activities at the secretariat as labour leaders insisted that workers should be assured of their safety before returning to their offices.
Delta State NLC Chairman, Goodluck Ofobruku, said the union was concerned about the safety of civil servants and would engage the state government over the incident.
Ofobruku said workers needed assurances that they could perform their duties without fear. He added that labour would seek an amicable resolution with the government but insisted that whoever was found responsible for any wrongdoing should be held accountable.
He said workers could resume on Monday if the government addressed their concerns, but warned that they could remain away from work if the assurances were considered inadequate.
The Chairman of the Joint Civil Service Negotiating Council, Benson Efeotor, said the council was making efforts to establish what happened.
Efeotor said he had visited the Ministry of Education and sought information about the deceased, whom he said worked at the Science Centre. He appealed to workers to remain calm and avoid violence or destruction of government property while discussions with the authorities continued.
Reports about what happened before Adeda was hospitalised remain contested.
Some sources familiar with the incident alleged that the confrontation involved the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu, and that Adeda was assaulted during the encounter. The allegation has not been independently established, and there has been no official confirmation that the reported confrontation caused Adeda’s death.
The Sun similarly reported that the death followed an alleged assault by persons suspected to be agents of a senior government official. However, it also noted that the allegation had not been independently established and that the circumstances surrounding the death remained subject to investigation.
Responding to the workers, Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, said the government would not conceal the findings of any investigation.
Aniagwu said there were different accounts of what may have caused Adeda’s death and that appropriate medical examination, including an autopsy where necessary, would be important in establishing the facts.
“There are different conjectures as to what may have led to the death of our brother who passed in the hospital,” he said, adding that the outcome of the investigation would be made known and appropriate action taken.
The commissioner appealed to the workers to remain peaceful and commended labour leaders for ensuring that the protest did not degenerate into violence. He stressed that every human life deserved protection regardless of the individual’s position or relationship with anyone involved.
The incident has also raised concerns among civil servants about workplace safety and the need for a transparent account of events within the state secretariat.
As of Friday, no conclusive official finding had been released establishing the circumstances of Adeda’s death or determining whether the reported confrontation was directly responsible for it.
The NLC and the state government are expected to continue discussions while investigations proceed. The labour union’s position is that workers should receive adequate assurances about their safety before normal activities resume at the secretariat.
The case has consequently placed pressure on the Delta State Government to establish what happened and make the findings available to the public, while avoiding premature conclusions before medical and investigative processes are completed.
