Former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof.
Festus Iyayi, yesterday died in an auto crash involving the convoy of
Kogi State Governor Idris Wada along Lokoja-Abuja Road.
Iyayi and other members of ASUU, University of Benin branch, were on
their way to Kano for a meeting of the National Executive Committee,
NEC, of the union scheduled to hold today. The meeting is to enable the
NEC receive reports of the congresses that held “simultaneously” in the
universities across the country.
The accident occurred about noon at Banda village near Lokoja, the
Kogi State capital, when an escort car in the convoy of the governor had
a head-on collision with the bus in which Prof. Iyayi and the other
members of ASUU were travelling. Eyewitnesses told National Mirror that
the ASUU team was travelling to Kano in a Toyota bus with registration
number ED 357 ASL.
The remains of the late professor were said to have been deposited at
the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, in Lokoja, while other injured
victims, including the driver of the convoy’s Hilux pick-up van, were
taken to the same hospital for medical attention.
Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Olakunle
Motajo, who confirmed the accident, said preliminary investigation
revealed that there was wrongful overtaking on the part of the
governor’s vehicle. Wada later visited the emergency unit of the
hospital to commiserate with the victims and also at the mortuary to see
the remains of Iyayi.
The governor, who was shocked over the incident, however, told the
management of the hospital to give the injured the best treatment. In a
statement later, the state government confirmed that an escort vehicle
in the convoy of the governor was involved in a fatal accident at Banda
Village, while the governor was returning from an official engagement in
the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The statement, signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media
and Strategy, Mr. Jacob Edi, stated that the convoy was on a speed of
80 kilometres per hour when a bus collided with the escort van. “Sadly,
in the storm, it was discovered that a renowned academic and respected
human rights advocate, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who was in the other vehicle
died in the accident.
There were other victims with varying degree of injuries from both
sides,” the statement said. Born in 1947 in Ugbegun, Ishan in Edo, late
Iyayi obtained a Masters Degree in Industrial Economics from the Kiev
Institute of Economics in the former U.S.S.R.
He became a lecturer in 1980 at the Department of Business
Administration, University of Benin. Iyayi, who was the ASUU president
in 1986, was also a known author with four books to his credit. The late
unionist won the Commonwealth Prize for Literature for one of his books
“Heroes” in 1988.
The title of other books to his credit are: “Violence”, “The Contract” and “Awaiting Court Martial.”
Meanwhile, reactions have been pouring in on the death of Iyayi.
President Goodluck Jonathan expressed sadness over the death of the
former ASUU president.
A statement issued yesterday by Special Adviser to the President on
Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, commiserated with the leadership
and members of ASUU on the tragic death. Jonathan also expressed
condolences to Iyayi’s family, his colleagues, friends and associates.
Senate President David Mark also lamented the death of the frontline
academic. Mark noted the giant strides of the university scholar, which
had brought international fame and value to the nation.
He regretted that Iyayi was one of the leaders of ASUU dialoguing
with the Federal Government on how to resolve the lingering strike by
university teachers. Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan also
expressed deep shock at the sudden death of Iyayi and called on players
in the education sector, including the Federal Government and striking
lecturers, to rededicate themselves to the pursuit of excellence at the
tertiary level in honour of the deceased.
The governor in a statement by his Press Secretary, Felix Ofou, said
the highest honour that the late Iyayi deserved was the return to the
pursuit of academic excellence in our universities and other higher
institutions. ASUU also mourned the death of its former President.
The President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, said: “The sad news was
broken to the union in the morning of November 12. I cannot say anything
right now. We have just lost one of our own, Festus Iyayi, who was very
dear to us.
I am mourning.” The immediate past President of the union, Prof.
Ukachukwu Awuzie, said the news came to him as a rude shock and was
still in doubt if it was true. Awuzie, now the Vice- Chancellor, Imo
State University, said: “I know the NEC executives of the union should
be on their way to Kano, but I am still expecting the details of the
death.
“Until I get full details on the circumstances of his death, I might
not be able to say much,” Awuzie said. Prof. Ahunna Okerengwo, the
Chairman, University of Port- Harcourt chapter of ASUU, says the death
of Iyayi on Tuesday was shocking. Prof. Damian Opata, the Head,
Department of English, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said Iyayi’s death
was unfortunate. “It is very sad coming at this time,” he said.
The Kano meeting is to deliberate on whether to call off the strike
as the NEC receives reports of the congresses that held “simultaneously”
in all the universities across the country. Local chapters of ASUU had
held their congresses on Monday to vote on the suspension or otherwise.
The said agreement, which necessitated the subsisting July 1 action,
required that the Federal Government will, within a period of five
years, release more than N1trn, to bridge the noticeable infrastructural
deficits in the nation’s ivory towers. Also, the Federal Government
would have released N92bn, for what the union christened, “earned
allowance.”
However, ASUU seems to have a moral burden now as the Federal
Government said it had released over N30bn as part of the contentious
earned allowance. Last week’s meeting of the Fagge-led ASUU with
President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, prompted positive steps by
ASUU towards ending the strike.
At the meeting, President Jonathan was said to have pledged
government’s readiness to release N220bn in next year’s budget and in
subsequent appropriations.
Already, chairmen of local chapters of ASUU are converging on Kano,
preparatory to the meeting, from where a positive resolution is being
expected. Chairman of one of the federal universities in the
South-South, who did not want his name mentioned, said the strike “may
be suspended on Saturday.”
“Many of the chapters are disposed to ending this strike, which has
cost us all a full semester. “As I speak with you, we (chairmen) are on
our way to Kano for NEC meeting tomorrow (today).” Asked if the strike
would be suspended, he said: “I think so, judging by reports from the
Monday congresses we held simultaneously. We may suspend the strike on
Saturday or Sunday.”
He, however, admonished government to ensure that it honoured its
promise so as not to return the university system to this “sorry past”.
This, of course, formed the basis for the Monday congresses and today’s
“decider” NEC meeting.
Meanwhile, the University of Jos, UNIJOS, chapter of the union
explained its support for the continuation of the ongoing strike. After
considering the outcome of the meeting which the union’s national body
had with President Jonathan, members of the branch had last Monday voted
in favour of the continuation of the fourmonth- old strike.
