Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has lifted the suspension of the Commissioner for Works, Highways and Urban Roads, Reuben Izeze, directing him to return to office after 10 weeks from the date of his suspension.
Oborevwori announced the decision on Tuesday during the swearing-in ceremony of the state Auditor-General and members of the governing councils of three state-owned universities at Government House, Asaba.
The governor said Izeze had personally appealed to him for forgiveness and expressed his willingness to face the public following the controversy that led to his suspension.
According to Oborevwori, the commissioner sent him a message on Tuesday morning asking for forgiveness and requesting that the governor explain to the public that he had recently returned from the correctional facility.
The governor said Izeze’s decision to come forward publicly and appeal for forgiveness influenced his decision to review the suspension.
Oborevwori, however, maintained that the commissioner had not yet completed two months from the date of his suspension and therefore would not immediately resume his official duties.
He subsequently directed that Izeze should return to work once 10 weeks had elapsed from the date the suspension was imposed.
Izeze was suspended indefinitely by the Delta State Government on August 10 following allegations linking him to the alleged assault of the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Protocol, Simon Mudi, popularly known as Temple.
The incident reportedly occurred during an All Progressives Congress stakeholders’ meeting held at the Petroleum Training Institute in Effurun, Delta State.
At the time, the state government said the suspension was intended to allow security agencies to investigate the allegations without interference from the commissioner.
Before his suspension, Izeze had been arraigned before a Delta State High Court sitting in Effurun over the alleged assault.
The court subsequently remanded him at the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Okere, Warri, with reports stating that the remand order initially lasted 14 days pending further proceedings.
The governor’s latest directive therefore provides a specific timeline for the commissioner’s return after the period of suspension.
Oborevwori also used the occasion to stress the importance of discipline and responsible conduct among officials serving in government.
He said his approach to governance was different from his earlier political years and maintained that public officials must conduct themselves properly because no individual is above the law.
The governor’s comments came as he presided over the formal induction of new officials and governing councils for the University of Delta, Dennis Osadebay University and Southern Delta University.
The development places Izeze’s return within a broader period of administrative activity in the state, with the governor also announcing decisions affecting the management of the state’s tertiary institutions.
The commissioner’s suspension had followed a politically charged incident at an APC stakeholders’ gathering, while the state government had previously maintained that the disciplinary action was necessary to ensure an impartial investigation.
With the 10-week period now serving as the timeline for his return, Izeze is expected to resume his responsibilities as Commissioner for Works, Highways and Urban Roads after completing the period stipulated by the governor.
The allegations that led to his suspension remain matters connected to the earlier investigation and court proceedings, while the latest decision concerns his administrative status within the Delta State Government.