A lecturer, with the state-owned College of Education, Ekiadolor near Benin City, on Friday committed suicide by hanging.
The deceased, Friday Orobator was found after he hung himself by neighbours at his Obakhavbaye Street residence, who said he was a father of 4, in his second marriage and studying for a PH.D.
He was said to have bitterly complained about being overwhelmed with indebtedness to friends and family members.
The lecturer is one of the many who few months ago protested at the Government House, Benin City over the government’s refusal to pay them salary arrears of 13-months.
Always dressed in black attire and bearing placards of various inscriptions like his colleagues, the protesters blocked the main entrance to Edo Government House to press home their demands.
Chairman of College of Education Academic Staff Union, (COEASU), Comrade Fred Omonuwa, said their colleague died as a result of inability to access medicine.
He said, “Everybody knows that the Edo state government owes us 13 months of salary which we have continued to agitate for even before the election but it was tagged “political agitation” the man couldn’t provide for himself. His wife just had a baby. We were surprised yesterday ( (Friday) that he took his own life. Before he committed suicide he spoke to some colleagues on Wednesday complaining bitterly his inability to access medical facility and becoming very ashamed of begging friends for money to treat himself”.
“As far as we are concerned, we staff of the college are pained, our people are going through a lot and dying but this is an extreme case because of the way he took his own life. Edo state government should please listen to us. Now school is about resume our members can’t even pay the school fees of their children. What have we done to deserve this? We are pained by the loss of this senior colleague, a principal lecturer, we are not happy”.
The remains of late Orobator had been deposited at a mortuary by men of the Oba market Police station. He is survived by a wife and 4 children.
