A 42-year-old civil servant, Peter Ogiero, has committed suicide allegedly
over 13 months salaries owed him by the Bayelsa state government.
According to reports, Ogiero, an engineer with the Bayelsa State Water Board, died on Tuesday after drinking an insecticide known as ‘Sniper’.
He reportedly became hypertensive and developed stroke about one year ago after which his wife left him with three of their children.
An unnamed family member who spoke with The Nation suggested that Ogiero decided to take his life due to frustration over his unpaid salaries.
“Ogiero’s condition was pathetic. His death was tragic and painful. He took his life by drinking an insecticide called Sniper. He was so frustrated that he felt life and the government were unkind to him. He was hopeless and helpless,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Government has described as untrue and misleading reports that Ogiero, committed suicide because of unpaid salaries.
The government quoted a family source as revealing that “the deceased was suffering from partial paralysis, which was responsible for his death.”
A terse statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said there is no iota of truth in the story, stressing that the report was a calculated attempt by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its cronies to score cheap political points ahead of the forthcoming governorship election shaded for December 5.
“Bayelsa is one of the few States in the country that remains committed to the welfare of its workers, stressing that, it is on record that, the present administration was not owing workers.
“Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has ordered the immediate payment of September salaries to the entire workforce, despite the dwindling allocation from the federation account.
“Contrary to the reports, our findings show that, the deceased is not on the payroll of the State Government and neither did he commit suicide,” the statement said.
The news of the suicide could hurt Dickson’s chances as he faces Sylva, who recently won the ticket of the All Progressives Party Congress (APC) at the polls.
Follow Us