How Kogi Gov’s car recklessly killed ex ASUU President, Prof. Iyayi Festus

Prof. Festus Iyayi                                                                                                                      Kogi Gov, Wada

Millions of Nigerians are 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.