Delta State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Reuben Izeze, is expected to resume duty on Monday, October 19, following the lifting of his suspension over the violent incident at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, which reportedly left Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s protocol officer, Simon Mudi, popularly known as Temple, seriously injured.
Izeze’s anticipated return comes after he spent about 10 weeks away from office following an indefinite suspension imposed by the Delta State Government on August 10, 2026.
Governor Oborevwori had verbally announced the lifting of the suspension on September 23, while addressing guests shortly after the swearing-in of the state Auditor-General and members of the governing councils of three state-owned universities.
The governor said the commissioner had appealed for forgiveness, adding that he had decided to allow him to return to work after completing 10 weeks away from office.
“He sent me a message this morning that I should forgive him,” Oborevwori said, explaining that public officials must conduct themselves responsibly because nobody is above the law.
The governor added that although the commissioner had not spent up to two months under suspension at the time, he would be allowed to resume when the period reached 10 weeks.
The PTI incident attracted public attention following reports of a violent confrontation that allegedly resulted in the assault on Mudi. Izeze was reportedly linked to the incident, although the circumstances surrounding the violence and the allegations against him were not fully detailed in the report.
Izeze speaks on Mudi
In a Facebook post dated August 21, Izeze expressed gratitude to the governor and referred to Mudi as his younger brother, saying he was glad that the protocol officer had survived the incident.
He also thanked Mudi for accepting peace overtures and called for an end to divisions among people of Ughievwen.
In the post, Izeze said he could never plan or wish Mudi harm, while urging people to stop allowing those he described as enemies to thrive through division.
The commissioner’s anticipated return to office is expected to draw attention to the government’s handling of the incident and the reconciliation efforts following the reported violence.
Izeze’s intervention at Warri Correctional Centre
Meanwhile, Izeze’s period away from office reportedly resulted in the release of 15 inmates from the Warri Correctional Centre through an intervention involving a non-governmental organisation, FOOSTODEY.
The intervention was carried out under the organisation’s “UKODO NA TẸVWẸ” welfare initiative, which involved paying court-imposed fines for inmates who had been sentenced to prison terms with the option of fines but could not afford the payments.
According to the report, Izeze encountered more than 20 inmates whose continued detention was linked to their inability to pay the fines during his stay at the correctional centre.
Moved by their circumstances, he reportedly drew FOOSTODEY’s attention to their plight, prompting the organisation to settle the fines for 15 beneficiaries.
The inmates, who were drawn from different local government areas of Delta State, regained their freedom on August 24 after the necessary payments and administrative procedures were completed.