Hope of a possible suspension of
the ongoing strike by university teachers this week dimmed on Tuesday as
a former National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof.
Festus Iyayi, died in an accident involving a vehicle in the convoy of the Kogi
State Governor, Captain Idris Wada (retd.).
Iyayi, a professor of Business
Administration and Head of the Department of Business Administration,
University of Benin, died at 66.
His death made ASUU
to postpone its National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for
the Bayero University, Kano to discuss the position of its over 50 branches on
the offer made to the union by the Federal Government.
Iyayi, a member of
the negotiating team of ASUU, was travelling to Kano in company with the Benin
Zonal Coordinator of the union, Dr. Sunny Iyalo; the National
Welfare Officer, Dr. Ngozi Ilo, and the University of Benin Chairman of ASUU,
Dr. Anthony Monye-Emina, for the NEC meeting when the accident happened.
Eyewitnesses told one of our
correspondents that the accident happened at Banda, a village about three
kilometres to Lokoja.
He said the
last police vehicle in the convoy of the governor lost control and hit the ASUU
leaders’ vehicle, thus setting it on a fatal somersault.
When the dust raised by the
impact settled, Iyayi had died while Ilo was badly injured. Iyalo and
Monye-
Emina, were however lucky as they escaped with minor wounds.
Ilo was rushed to the Lokoja
General Hospital.
The survivors were said to
have called the ASUU leaders from Ibadan Zone who were some
kilometres behind them for help.
The Chairman, Lagos State
University branch of the union, Dr. Fikayo Idris, who was in the Ibadan
Zone team’s vehicle with the National Vice-President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun
Ogunyemi, and others, expressed sadness over the incident and the
uncaring attitude of those in the convoy.
He said no vehicle in the
governor’s convoy waited to see what had happened to
the ASUU chiefs.
“The accident happened around
11am on Tuesday but you won’t believe that the convoy did not stop. All
the vehicles just zoomed off only for them to come back later for
their injured persons in the police vehicle.
Idris added that they had to
wait for an ambulance from the UNIBEN Teaching Hospital to take the remains
of Iyayi to Benin.”
Also, Prof. Friday Okonofua of
UNIBEN accused Wada of causing the professor’s death.
He said, “It is the
governor’s reckless convoy that killed one of our most distinguished
academics, who has won laurels all over the world.”
But the Special Adviser, Media
and Strategy to the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Jacob Edi, denied the
accusation.
He claimed that he did not
only stop at the scene of the accident, he also ordered the medical
personnel in the ambulance in the convoy to attend to the
victims.
In a telephone interview with
one of our correspondents, Edi said the accident occurred when the
vehicle conveying the ASUU officials was trying to avoid a trailer and in the
process rammed into the last vehicle in Wada’s convoy.
He said, “We know that when a
human life is lost, it will not be fair to play politics. Truly, there
was an accident. The bus which was conveying the ASUU members was trying
to avoid a trailer and in the process collided with the last
escort vehicle in the governor’s convoy.
“The Lokoja-Abuja Expressway
right now is under construction. That road is very narrow. It is unfortunate
that we have to exchange words on an issue like this. But when the
collision occurred, the governor stopped and directed the medical
team in the ambulance which was part of the convoy to
attend to the victims.
“As soon as the governor got to
Lokoja and was fully briefed on the situation, he quickly went to the Federal
Medical Centre where the ASUU victims were hospitalised to sympathise with them
and take care of their welfare.”
The special adviser also
said, “The governor has also ordered an investigation into
the immediate and remote causes of the accident because he is very bitter
and pained by this development.”
He added, “No human being will
be happy with the loss of the life of a fellow human being.
The governor was never
indifferent to their plight. If he was indifferent, he would not have gone to
the FMC to check on the survivors.”
When Idris was told
that the governor’s aide had denied his claim, Idris replied, “We are
still in Lokoja now (6.33pm) waiting for an ambulance from Benin to
convey the remains of Prof. Iyayi home. That is careless talk by him.”
He, however, said that the NEC
meeting would not hold on Wednesday (today) again because “we need to honour
one of our committed leaders.”
Meanwhile, the National
President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, and the Chairman, University of
Abuja chapter, Mr. Clement Chup, have described Iyayi’s death
as unfortunate.
They
reacted in separate telephone interviews with the News
Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
President Goodluck
Jonathan commiserated with the leadership and members of ASUU on Iyayi’s
death.
Jonathan, in a statement by his
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said he was
particularly dismayed by the fact that Iyayi died while going to
contribute to efforts to finally resolve the current ASUU strike.
The statement reads, “On behalf
of himself and the Federal Government, President Jonathan
commiserates with the leadership and members of ASUU on the tragic death today
of former ASUU President, Dr. Iyayi.
“President Jonathan also extends
sincere condolences to the Iyayi family as well as his
colleagues, friends and associates across the country and beyond.
Also, the Senate
President, David Mark , lamented the death of Iyayi, saying
Nigeria had lost an academic giant.
Mark, in a statement by his
Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Paul Mumeh, said the untimely death of the activist
was pathetic.
Delta State Governor, Dr.
Emmanuel Uduaghan, however, expressed deep shock at the death
of Iyayi and called on players in the education sector, including the Federal
Government and the 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
Iyayi deserved was the return to the pursuit of academic excellence in our
universities and other higher institutions.
Punch
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