Confusion, tension and fear gripped the Delta State Secretariat, Asaba, on Friday following the death of a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Secondary Education, Mr. Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, with organised labour shutting the secretariat and demanding a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The development paralysed official activities at the Prof. Chike Odozien Secretariat as workers, acting under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), locked the entrances to the complex and insisted that no worker would return to duty until the government provided satisfactory assurances regarding their safety.

The protest followed reports that Adeda died in a hospital on Friday, a day after an alleged confrontation at the secretariat.

The Guardian learnt that the circumstances surrounding the confrontation, and whether it had any connection with Adeda’s subsequent death, had not been conclusively established as of press time.

However, sources familiar with the incident alleged that the confrontation involved the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, and that the deceased was assaulted during the encounter.

The sources further alleged that during the encounter, Ashibogwu asked Adeda whether he knew him, to which the deputy director reportedly replied that he did not.

The allegation of assault could not be independently established, while there was no official confirmation linking the alleged confrontation directly to Adeda’s death.

The development nevertheless triggered an immediate reaction from workers, who expressed concern that the incident had raised fundamental questions about the safety and welfare of civil servants within government premises.

Addressing the protesting workers, the state NLC Chairman, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, said the union was deeply concerned about the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death and would engage the state government to ensure that the matter was properly investigated.

Ofobruku said labour was prepared to pursue an amicable resolution with the government but maintained that workers could not be expected to return to their offices without assurances that their lives and safety were protected.

“We must assure workers that they are safe in their places of work. And whoever is responsible for this beating that led to his untimely death must be brought to book before we come back,” he said.

The NLC chairman said workers could resume on Monday if the government adequately addressed their concerns, but warned that they might remain at home if the assurances provided were considered unsatisfactory.

The protest, which disrupted activities across the secretariat, was conducted peacefully, with labour leaders cautioning workers against violence or destruction of public property.

The Chairman of the Joint Civil Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Benson Efeotor, said the council had commenced efforts to establish the facts surrounding the incident.

Efeotor disclosed that he had visited the Ministry of Education to obtain information about the deceased, who, according to him, worked at the Science Centre.

He appealed to workers to remain calm while discussions with the government continued, stressing the need to avoid actions that could aggravate an already sensitive situation.

The development has also placed pressure on the state government to provide a transparent account of what transpired before Adeda was hospitalised and subsequently died.

Responding on behalf of the government, the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, assured the workers that no attempt would be made to conceal the outcome of any investigation.

Aniagwu said the immediate responsibility of the government was to establish the facts and determine the actual cause of Adeda’s death through appropriate investigation and medical examination.

According to him, there were already several conjectures about the circumstances surrounding the death, making an objective investigation necessary.

“There are different conjectures as to what may have led to the death of our brother who passed in the hospital. Perhaps, as the autopsy would have been able to establish, what transpired and indeed medical examination will determine the cause of death,” he said.

The commissioner assured the workers that the findings would be made public and that appropriate action would follow if wrongdoing was established.

“I can assure you that nothing is going to be swept under the carpet. It will be known what happened and then the necessary action will be taken,” Aniagwu added.

Aniagwu also appealed to the workers to exercise restraint, commending labour leaders for ensuring that the protest remained peaceful.

He emphasised that every human life was valuable and deserved protection, irrespective of the individual’s position or relationship with anyone involved in the incident.

For the workers, the central issue is not only how Adeda died but whether civil servants can discharge their official responsibilities without fear of intimidation or physical harm.

For the government, however, the immediate task is to establish through credible medical and investigative processes what caused the deputy director’s death and whether anyone bears responsibility for it.

As of Friday, no conclusive official finding had been released linking the reported confrontation to Adeda’s death.

The NLC and the Joint Civil Service Negotiating Council are expected to continue discussions with the government over the weekend, while workers await concrete assurances and the outcome of investigations.

The incident has effectively placed the Delta State Government under pressure to demonstrate that its promised investigation will be transparent, independent and capable of addressing the questions that have unsettled the state civil service.