Justice For Delta Director

The circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Unity Adeda, a deputy director in the Delta State Ministry of Secondary Education, who was allegedly beaten during an incident at the office of the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu, cannot be easily dismissed.

There are allegations that the deceased was beaten by the Commissioner’s aides. The question for the police and other investigating authorities will be to ascertain why the assault occurred and on whose authority the Commissioner’s aides acted, among other issues.

It is sad that the deceased will not be here to provide his own account of the circumstances that led to the incident, which ultimately cost him his life. But regardless of what those accused will say, there can be no justification for their actions.

Assault has no place in any civilised society. Ours is clearly a civilised society that does not condone it, and imagining that such an assault took place in a formal setting, such as a commissioner’s office, makes it even more disheartening.

A family has been plunged into mourning. A wife has been widowed and her children orphaned. The Delta civil service has lost one of its directorial cadre staff in a clear case of assault. We believe that, regardless of what those involved will say, the matter could have been handled without resorting to assault if reason had prevailed.

Every worker who goes to work must be guaranteed a safe return to their family. That is the irreducible minimum the government owes its citizens. Therefore, when a worker arrives at work and is taken home sick or lifeless, all hell must be let loose.

Assuming, without conceding, that the deceased director was guilty of wrongdoing, there are clearly laid-down procedures for disciplinary action in the civil service. Why were these procedures not followed? Why did the aides who are being accused take the law into their own hands? If someone as high as the deputy director can be so assaulted in the workplace, then nobody is safe.

The condemnation that followed the death of Mr Adeda is the fitting response from the civil servants. There couldn’t have been anything less than that. Workers across the nation must rise to demand workplace safety. And that is why the decision of the workers under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to lock the state secretariat complex and insist that no worker would return to duty until the government provided satisfactory assurances regarding their safety is commendable.

There is, therefore, an urgent need for the police to conduct a thorough investigation into this deeply embarrassing, shocking and utterly tragic situation. Director Adeda and, indeed, his family, deserve justice. Those responsible for his death must be brought to account.

It is notable that the police have identified Enos Attah, Oputa Okestine, and Lucky Adoh as prime suspects, arrested the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu, and four others, including one named Lucky Adoh, and are conducting a serious manhunt for the remaining suspects. The least Nigerians expect of the police is a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

The police need to examine all available evidence, including video footage, eyewitness accounts and medical records, to establish what transpired. We join the deceased director’s family and, indeed, Nigerians of goodwill, in demanding that the police conduct the investigation professionally and without interference.

Like most Nigerians, we demand that the police conduct a thorough investigation to determine the true cause of Adeda’s death, which is the least we owe not only to his memory but also to the workers of Delta State, who need assurances that they will always be safe at their duty posts.

It is heartening that the Delta State government has established an eight-member panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding this abhorrent incident. The outcome of the panel and the police investigation will no doubt help provide a clear path.

While the nation awaits the outcome of the police investigation and the eventual prosecution of those found culpable, we must commend the Delta State Police Command for its swift response. But acting swiftly is not enough. Diligent investigation and the eventual prosecution of all those found culpable will make the difference. We hope the police will ensure this.