Iyayi’s Death: ASUU Suspends National Executive Council Meeting
The latest news update on ASUU Strike is that ASUU has postponed her National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting as a result of Iyayi’s death. Hopes of calling off the strike this week are now lost. We reported to you that ASUU chapters all over the country started voting for or against calling off the strike on Monday. ASUU NEC was scheduled to meet and decide on the contributions of chapters on Thursday. This meeting has now been postponed after the death of former National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Festus Iyayi, in an accident on his way to the NEC Meeting.
Read the full details of the latest ASUU Strike News as reported by PunchNG:
Hope of a possible suspension of the ongoing strike by university teachersĀ 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 theĀ Department of Business Administration, University of Benin, died at 66.
His death madeĀ ASUUĀ to postponeĀ its National Executive Committee meeting scheduled forĀ 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,Ā Ā a member of the negotiating team of ASUU, was travelling to Kano in company with the Benin Zonal Coordinator of the union,Ā Dr. SunnyĀ Iyalo;Ā 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 accidentĀ happened.
Eyewitnesses told one of our correspondents that the accident happened at Banda, a villageĀ about three kilometres to Lokoja.
He saidĀ Ā Ā the last police vehicle in the convoy of the governor lost control and hit the ASUU leadersā 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 haveĀ Ā called the ASUU leaders from Ibadan Zone who were some kilometres behind them for help.
TheĀ Chairman, Lagos State University branch ofĀ the union, Dr. Fikayo Idris, who was in the Ibadan Zone teamās vehicle with the National Vice-President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, and others,Ā Ā expressed sadness over the incident and the uncaring attitude ofĀ those in the convoy.
He said no vehicle in theĀ governorās convoy waitedĀ Ā Ā to see what had happened to theĀ ASUU chiefs.
āThe accident happened around 11am on TuesdayĀ but you wonāt believe that the convoy did not stop. All theĀ vehiclesĀ just zoomed off only for them to come back later for theirĀ Ā injured persons in the police vehicle.
Idris added that they had to wait for an ambulance fromĀ the UNIBEN Teaching Hospital to take the remains of Iyayi to Benin.ā
Also, Prof. Friday Okonofua of UNIBENĀ accused Wada ofĀ causing the professorās death.
He said, āIt is theĀ governorās reckless convoy that killedĀ one of our most distinguished academics, who has won laurels all over the world.ā
But the Special Adviser, Media and Strategy to the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Jacob Edi,Ā deniedĀ the accusation.
He claimed thatĀ he did not only stop at the scene of the accident, he alsoĀ ordered theĀ medical personnel in the ambulanceĀ inĀ the convoy toĀ attend to the victims.
In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, EdiĀ 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 Wadaās convoy.
He said, āWe know that when a human life is lost, it will not be fair to play politics. Truly,Ā there was an accident. The bus which was conveyingĀ the ASUU members was trying toĀ avoidĀ a trailer and in the process collided with theĀ last escort vehicle in the governorās convoy.
āThe Lokoja-Abuja Expressway right now is under construction. That road is very narrow. It is unfortunate that we have to exchange words onĀ an issue like this. But when the collision occurred, the governor stoppedĀ andĀ directed the medical team in theĀ ambulance which was part of the convoyĀ toĀ Ā attend to the victims.
āAs 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.ā
The special adviser also said,Ā Ā āTheĀ governor has also ordered an investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the accident because heĀ is very bitter and painedĀ byĀ this development.ā
He added, āNo human being will be happy withĀ 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 onĀ the survivors.ā
WhenĀ Ā Idris was told that the governorās aide had denied his claim, Idris replied,Ā āWe are still inĀ Lokoja now (6.33pm) waiting for an ambulance from Benin to convey the remains of Prof. Iyayi home. That is careless talk by him.ā
He, however, said that the NEC meeting would not hold on Wednesday (today) again because āwe need to honour one of our committed leaders.ā
Meanwhile, the National President of ASUU,Ā Dr.Ā Nasir Fagge, and the Chairman, University of Abuja chapter, Mr. Clement Chup,Ā Ā have described Iyayiās deathĀ as unfortunate.
TheyĀ Ā Ā reactedĀ Ā in separate telephoneĀ interviewsĀ with theĀ News Agency of NigeriaĀ in Abuja.
President Goodluck JonathanĀ commiserated with the leadership and members of ASUU on Iyayiās 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 diedĀ while going to contribute to efforts to finally resolve the current ASUU strike.
The statement reads, āOn behalf of himself and the Federal Government, PresidentĀ Ā Jonathan commiserates with the leadership and members of ASUU on the tragic death today ofĀ former ASUU President, Dr.Ā Iyayi.
āPresident Jonathan also extends sincere condolences toĀ theĀ IyayiĀ family as well as his colleagues, friends and associates across the country and beyond.
Also,Ā the Senate President, David Mark ,Ā Ā lamentedĀ 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 ofĀ the activistĀ Ā was pathetic.
Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan,Ā however, expressed deep shock at theĀ Ā death of Iyayi and called on players in the education sector, including the Federal Government and the striking lecturersĀ Ā 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.
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God Bless Nigeria!!!
Asuu pls understand d fact we r @home doing nothing… Most of our mates hv travel out 2 school, 4 we dat our parents can’t afford… Pls we r tired of staying @ home doing nothing, and u giving room 2 all dis foreign universities coming 2 nigeria 2 take students… Pls ASUU n FG