ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Government has constituted an eight-member Administrative Panel of Inquiry to establish the circumstances surrounding the death of a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Adeda Ekwevughe.
The announcement was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Kingsley Eze Emu, following concerns raised by colleagues of the deceased and organised labour over the circumstances of his death at his workplace.
The government said the panel would work alongside the ongoing police investigation into the incident and was established after consultations with organised labour.
The panel is chaired by Mrs Charity Ehimen, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Service, while Mr Mamuzo Erebhe, SAN, Solicitor-General/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, and Mr Lucky Nkemachor, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, are members.
Other members are Sir A.E. Oghoro, Executive Assistant to the Governor on Public Service; Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Delta State; Comrade Chief Benson Efeotor, Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC); and Comrade Wilson Asekutu, Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The Secretary of the Joint Negotiating Council, Comrade Dennis Chuks Isichei, will serve as member and secretary of the panel.
According to the government, the inquiry was prompted by concerns expressed by colleagues of the deceased at various sections of the Public Service, including organised labour.
The panel has been given two weeks to investigate the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death and enable the government to determine the appropriate response based on the findings.
The government said the inquiry was intended to ensure that all parties involved receive a fair hearing and that the matter is addressed within the provisions of the law.
The development comes as the police continue their separate investigation into the incident. The Delta State Police Command had earlier announced the arrest of one suspect and a manhunt for others allegedly linked to the incident, while the Command’s Homicide Section was directed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.
By setting up its own administrative inquiry, the state government said it was responding to concerns from within the public service while allowing the police investigation to proceed.
The government expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and said it remained concerned about the welfare and safety of civil servants in their places of work.
It also assured workers of its commitment to protecting the dignity and sanctity of human life within the public service.
The findings of the administrative panel are expected to provide the government with an independent account of the circumstances surrounding the death and guide any further administrative action.
