Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Tragedy struck staff, colleagues of College of Education, Ekiadolor in Edo state as a principal lecturer of the school identified as Friday Osadolor has committed suicide in his Obakhavbuaye, off Ekenwan Road residence.
His lifeless body hanging in a rope around his neck with a protruding tongue and the rope tied to the rail of one of the windows in the apartment was recovered by the police attached to Oba Market police station.
The Edo lecturer who committed suicide was said to be in his 50s was a member of the College of Education Academic staff Union, (COEASU), and a principal lecturer at the Department of Adult education.
Osadolor was reported to have complained bitterly to close associates over his inability for lack of money to tend to his failing health and take care of his family. But he did not leave any suicide note.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that last Wednesday the late lecturer told a colleague that he was tired of begging for money from friends to cater for his family needs and his health challenges.
None of the family members agreed to talk to the media. One of them said “This is an abomination in our culture and you don’t expect me to be talking about this.”
However, the Chairman of COEASU in the school, Comrade Fred Omonuwa, said yesterday that their colleagues died as a result of lack and inability to access medical and appealed to the state government to pay the workers their 13 months unpaid salary.
He said “It is clear the death came as a result of lack and inability to access medical facilities. Some months ago he became very sick and depended on friends for assistance but very recently he started complaining of getting tired of consistently begging to survive.
“Of course, 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 about his inability to access medical facility and becoming very ashamed of begging friends for money to treat himself.
“We are aware some friends in Lagos and Benin have done their best in the past few weeks by providing money for him and yesterday he took his life by hanging. We are very much aware that the suicide he committed was as a result of lack of money”.
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