The Delta State Government has assured the family of Unity Adeda, a Level 16 civil servant in the Ministry of Secondary Education, that justice will be served over his reported death following an altercation at his workplace.
The assurance was given on Saturday by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Kingsley Emu, when he led a delegation of senior government officials to the deceased’s family to offer condolences.
Members of the delegation included the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Johnson Erijo; Permanent Secretary in the SSG’s Office, Lucky Nkemachor; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Community Development, Kevwe Agas; and Executive Secretary of the State Pensions Bureau, Lawson Efenudu.
Emu said the state government was deeply concerned about the incident, stressing that every life was valued by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration.
He described Adeda as a senior public servant who had contributed to the state’s civil service and said the government was mourning with the deceased’s family, colleagues and the wider state.
“The entire state is in a mourning mood, not just the family. He was a very senior officer, but whether he was a senior or junior officer, every life means a lot to the state and the government,” Emu said.
The SSG said the full circumstances surrounding the death had yet to be established, as police investigations were still ongoing.
He said preliminary information suggested that an altercation at the workplace had escalated, resulting in the incident.
According to Emu, Governor Oborevwori had directed the Commissioner of Police to ensure a thorough investigation, while some individuals linked to the incident had already made statements to the police.
He added that the state government had constituted an administrative panel comprising serving and retired civil servants to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The panel, he said, would also consider ways of strengthening mechanisms for resolving conflicts within the state public service before disputes escalate.
Emu acknowledged that disagreements could occur in workplaces but stressed the importance of resolving them through established institutional channels.
He assured the family that the government would continue to monitor the investigation and take appropriate action based on its findings.
