HOW KOGI GOV'S CAR RECLESSLY KILLED EX-ASUU PRESIDENT, PROF. IYAYI FESTUS

Millions of Nigeriansare still mourning the painful death of former
National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Festus Iyayi, who died in a...
reckless accident involving a
vehicle in the convoy of the Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada
on Tuesday, November 12.
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 us 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.
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.