THE Onojie of Ugbegunland,
hometown of former President of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU,
Professor. Festus Iyayi, in Edo State, HRM, Samuel Obade I, and his people, are
demanding a compensation of N50 billion to be paid to the immediate family of
the late professor by the Kogi State governor, Captain Idris Wada.
The community in a letter dated
November 13, to the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission,
Abuja, on the death of its son in an automobile accident with the governor’s
security details, called for a thorough investigation for Nigerians to know the
actual cause of Iyayi’s death.
This came as eminent Nigerians,
including the supervising Minister of Education, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, continued
to lament the untimely and tragic death of Professor Festus Iyayi
Also, Governor Adams Oshiomhole
of Edo State, described late Professor Iyayi as “a man who gave his all in the
struggle and led by example.”
Yesterday, Nigeria Union of
Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Peoples
Democratic Movement, PDM among others said the tragic death was avoidable.’
While NMA, asked the Federal
Government to probe the circumstances which led to Iyayi’s death in the crash
along the Lokoja – Abuja road on Tuesday, NUPENG claimed the recklessness by
the convoy of Governor Wada brought to the fore the need for the Federal Road
Safety Commission, FRSC, the police and other relevant traffic agencies to
enforce speed limits on our highways by those carrying dignitaries.
Wike, in a statement, said: “The
late former ASUU President was an erudite scholar whose academic and
professional contributions to national development will be missed. I pray God
to grant the ASUU, the family of Professor Iyayi and the entire nation, the
strength to bear this loss. We are very sad about the death of Professor Festus
Iyayi who had been a strong voice in the advancement of quality university
education in our country. His death is a huge loss to Nigeria.”
NMA calls for probe
Commenting on the death, NMA’s
President, Osahon Enabulele, said: “While we mourn the extremely sad and tragic
death of this dogged and courageous fighter for socio-economic and political
justice in Nigeria, and an unrepentant crusader for restoration of standards
and excellence in university education, we are pained that his death followed another
despicable act of recklessness and impunity by executive convoys.
“The NMA, calls on the Federal
Government to institute an urgent official inquiry into the circumstances that
led to Prof. Iyayi’s death while machinery is urgently put in motion by the
Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, to put an end to the recklessness
of executive convoys whose intolerable impunity has sent many innocent and
productive Nigerians to their early graves.
‘’Surely, we shall miss the
inspirational literary works and great personality of Prof. Festus Iyayi,
especially at this crucial period of our country’s history when his usually
frank contributions to the resolution of the several questions bordering on the
existence of the Nigerian state, are most needed.
‘’While we await the outcome of
the official inquiry into the auto crash, we deeply condole with the entire
Iyayi family, the President and members of ASUU and the Vice-Chancellor,
University of Benin.’’
NUPENG wants reckless drivers
punished
NUPENG, in a statement by its
General Secretary, Isaac Aberare, while commiserating with the immediate family
of Prof. Iyayi and leadership of ASUU, insisted that Iyayi’s death “is just one
death too many caused by convoys of this nature and the National Assembly must
pass a law to stop such reckless driving and penalise offenders.
“NUPENG also calls on the
federal and state governments to rehabilitate our roads to make them motorable,
instead of the bad incidences of pot holes dotting our roads causing
accidents. The nation cannot continue to lose innocent lives due to
negligence and recklessness on the part of government and uncaring government
drivers. NUPENG condoles with the family of Professor Iyayi, who was a dogged
activist, and known for his non-compromising position when he held sway at ASUU
and pray that God will grant him eternal rest. Professor Iyayi will be
remembered as an astute academic and labour leader who brought the activities
of ASUU to limelight and a force to be reckoned with in the fight for better
education in our tertiary institutions today.”
Iyayi led by example —Oshiomhole
Condoling members of the
immediate family at their residence in Benin City, Governor Adams Oshiomhole,
who noted that Iyayi’s death was a rude shock to him, said: “I am here on
behalf of the good people of Edo State to condole with you and members of your
family on the death of Professor Festus Iyayi. The Iyayi family cannot be
defined in terms of the wife, the immediate children, as well as family
members.
“Iyayi was a member of a much
larger family that cuts across the length and breadth of Nigeria. For me, and I
believe for all those who knew him, it was a rude shock. In fact, I was
extremely shocked. It was extremely shocking when somebody showed me a text
message and suggested in that message that Iyayi might not have survived that
accident. I told the man not to spread false rumour.
“A week before then, I saw
him on television along with his colleagues providing intellectual backing
as to why the Federal Government should deliver on its commitment to ASUU as
per the agreement signed in 2009. I played a part in the signing of that
agreement after both parties shifted ground.
“When I learnt that our
comrade died in such gruesome manner, only a stone hearted person would not be
moved. I do not know how to convey, not just my feeling, but the feelings of
those who have known him.
“I had known him when I was in
the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and ASUU at that time was not part of the
NLC. Iyayi along with his colleagues provided intellectual backing to support
and encourage the NLC to articulate its position on a variety of socio-economic
and political issues. So he was always there”, he said.
Oshiomhole noted that “in line
with the ASUU tradition of selfless service and sacrifice in the true sense of
that word, he would always travel by road covering long distances where even
junior officers and lower people would rather take flights. ASUU leaders would
always go by road to any part of the country, leading by example.
“When people talk of
selfless service, commitment to nation, leadership by example giving
your all to what you believe in, constituting yourself to a one man liberation
army driven by national passion to reposition our great country to lead the continent
to the way God had intended, Iyayi represented the best of that tradition”, he
noted.
Oshiomhole insisted “even those
who disagreed with his logic could not fault his position. Even those who
faulted his logic could not fault his patriotism that informed those positions.
Those are the kind of leadership every community needs if Nigeria would be
different from what it has been.
“When I came here, I was
troubled by the position of Ambrose Alli University and I wanted people who
have dedicated their lives to the cause of education, Professor Iyayi and Dr
Peter Ozo-Eson are people I knew all their lives they have
worked persuading government to accord the appropriate recognition and
sufficient allocation to the university system in order to build the much
needed competent human capital.
“I approached them to be members
of the governing council which they readily accepted and offered their time
generously along with others to provide leadership for the AAU. When I say that
we feel the pains, it is not a matter of rhetoric”, he said.
Responding on behalf of the
family, Professor Austine Ebewele thanked the governor for the visit
and said the death was a big loss not only to the family but also to the
university community.
PDM blames executive
recklessness
On its part, PDM, blamed Iyayi’s
death on executive recklessness and tasked “highly placed Nigerians to lead by
example instead of engaging in acts which continue to make our roads unsafe.”
PDM in a statement by its
National Chairman, Mallam Yusuf Ibrahim, lamented that Iyayi’s death came at a
time “when his academic services are needed the most.” The party said it
“deplores the incessant loss of valuable Nigerian lives due to avoidable road
accidents caused by poor road construction and, often, by reckless and
dangerous driving by highly placed Nigerians.
“Nigeria has endured too much
loss of its priceless human assets through untimely deaths resulting from
unnecessary road accidents.”
Vanguard
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