By Ade Oyeyemi
The Delta State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has declared an indefinite strike following the death of a deputy director in the state Ministry of Secondary Education, Mr Unity Adedah.
The NLC Chairman in the state, Goodluck Oforbruku, announced the industrial action on Friday while addressing protesting civil servants at the Chike Edozien Secretariat in Asaba.
The declaration followed the shutdown of the state secretariat by workers after news of Adedah’s death triggered protests among civil servants.
The deceased was reportedly attacked and beaten while at the secretariat, with allegations that thugs were involved in the incident.
The Daily Post reported that the alleged assault was linked to an order purportedly given by the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu. The circumstances surrounding the incident and the alleged involvement of the commissioner had not been independently established as of the time of filing the report.
Oforbruku, while announcing the strike, directed workers across the state to withdraw their services indefinitely.
The development has heightened tension among civil servants in the state, with workers demanding accountability over the circumstances that led to the deputy director’s death.
The incident also caused activities at the Chike Edozien Secretariat to be disrupted as workers gathered to protest the death and seek answers from the authorities.
The NLC is expected to press for an investigation into the incident and the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault on the deceased.
The latest industrial action comes amid other labour-related disputes in Delta State, where workers’ unions have recently raised concerns over outstanding welfare and financial issues. However, the current NLC action is linked specifically to the death of Adedah.
Further developments are expected as the state government and relevant authorities respond to the labour union’s declaration and investigate the circumstances surrounding the civil servant’s death.
