Following the death on Tuesday of one of its key ex-officio members, Festus Iyayi, in an auto crash involving the convoy of Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has postponed its planned National Executive Council (NEC) meeting slated to hold at Bayero University Kano on Wednesday.
Before the news of Iyayi’s death filtered into town, ASUU President, Nasir Fagge, had said the union was still consulting among its branches.
A member of the union who, however, spoke to our correspondent on Wednesday said the union was forced to cancel the meeting due to the sudden death of Iyayi, a former ASUU President.
While ASUU has postponed its meeting, more tributes continued to pour for the late Iyayi, who might have died as a result of penetrating heart injury, according to Sole Administrator of the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Paul Amodu.
Iyayi, Professor of Business Administration and Head of Department of Business Administration, University of Benin (UNIBEN), was on his way to Kano for the ASUU’s NEC meeting when he died on the way.
It was expected that the four-month-old strike by the university lecturers would have been called off or suspended at the NEC meeting.
A top official of ASUU, who spoke on anonymity, said the meeting was actually fixed for Wednesday but that he also learnt that it may have been shifted due to Iyayi’s death.
He said most of the officials who travelled from various parts of the country were already in Kano for the meeting.
“Yes, the meeting is fixed for today (Wednesday); all of us are here in Kano, but I heard the meeting might have been shifted due to Prof’s death” the source said.
He added that the meeting might now be held at the weekend.
UNIBEN Vice Chancellor, Osayuki Oshodin, on Wednesday led top management team of the institution to pay condolence to the family of late Iyayi in his residence in Benin City.
Third son of late Iyayi, Omole, while receiving the visitors said their father’s death took the family unawares, as they did not anticipate such so soon.
According to Omole who spoke amidst tears, “the death of our father is a great shock to us and we are surprised to be seeing sympathisers thronging our residence to condole the family and signed the condolence register.”
Omole said the family was amazed at the concerned shown by members of the public on the death of their father.
“We know he was an ASUU warlord and he was going for what he believed in. We are sure he will be in a better place. We never expected his death to be so soon,” he said.
It was also observed that Iyayi’s widow, Grace, was surrounded by friends and relatives, as she wept profusely in silence.
Deputy VC Academics of UNIBEN, Obehi Okojie, who spoke on behalf of the VC, described the death of Iyayi as a shock and a great loss to the entire university.
“We know what Prof. Iyayi stood for. He was a dear friend to all of us. God doesn’t allow accident to happen, but it has happened.
“God will see you through. The university is behind you. We pray God to give you strengthen you and help you to entrench what he stood for.”
Childhood friend of late Iyayi and Dean of Postgraduate School of UNIBEN, Bob Osazee, described Iyayi as the best in human capital development.
“He was committed to activism and has deep concern for human welfare. When he was detained, he stuck to his gun and never wavered. He believed in the welfare of his colleagues.”
Another professor, Famous Izedonmi, who said he was taught by late Iyayi in 1980, described him as a rare gem and hater of oppression.
“Prof. Iyayi lived and died for ASUU. He goes beyond UNIBEN. We should immortalise his name in UNIBEN. We will do something to immortalise him,” Izedonmi said
It was learnt that efforts were being made to bring the corpse of late Iyayi to Benin City on Wednesday.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar while mourning Iyayi following his death, described him as “a consummate scholar, writer, activist and gentleman per excellence.”
Atiku in a statement by his media office in Abuja on Wednesday noted that “Professor Iyayi lived and died for the good of Nigeria’s education.”
The Labour Party (LP) also expressed grief at the death of former ASUU leader.
In a statement by its national spokesman, Ikpe Etokudo, the party noted that his death followed closely that of late activist, Baba Omojola, saying it had thrown the progressive camp into mourning again so soon.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State described the late Iyayi as a true and committed Nigerian who gave up his personal comfort and joined the masses in the trenches in the fight for a better society.
In a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria, Oshiomhole, himself a former unionist, said: “Iyayi was a distinguished Nigerian who served not only ASUU, but the whole Nigerian academic community.
“He had a passion for education and I am proud that he came from Edo State. I found him so resourceful that I appointed him a member of the Governing Council of the Ambrose Alli University.”
Pro National Conference Organisation (PRONACO) also mourned the death Iyayi.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Olawale Okunniyi, the organisation stated that “Iyayi’s exit at this crucial time, when the nation was desperately searching for national consensus and political cohesion through the initiative of a people’s driven national conference is unfortunate and a great loss to the people of Nigeria.”
It described Iyayi as one of the very few scholars and advocate who possess profound understanding of the Nigerian national question.
“We are of the view that Prof. Festus Iyayi will therefore be remembered for his various interventions towards the autonomy and freedom of the indigenous peoples and nationalities for genuine federalism in Nigeria,” the statement added.
Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, expressed deep shock at the sudden death of the late don.
The Governor in a statement by his Press Secretary, by Felix Ofou, said “the highest honour that the late Iyayi deserved was the return to the pursuit of academic excellence in our universities and other higher institutions,”
He argued that anything short of this would have meant that the late activist might have died in vain.
Uduaghan recalled the heroic struggle and sacrifice of the late professor and author for the working class as well as the university system, pointing out that the history of strikes and strive for higher academic goals in the country cannot be said to be complete without glowing references to the part played by the deceased while still alive.
University of Ilorin branch of ASUU also described the death of Iyayi as tragic.
The union in a statement by its Chairman, Wahab Egbewole, called for further introduction of measures that would aid reduction of accidents on the roads across the country.
Former Kwara State Governor, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, in his condolence message, said the time has come for the leadership and membership of ASUU to end its current strike.
Saraki, now Senator representing Kwara Central, said the union should consider calling off the strike in Iyayi’s memory.
Lagos based lawyer and human rights activist, Bamidele Aturu, noted that the late former ASUU president “was cruelly murdered by a yet to be identified assassin in the employ of the Government of Kogi State.”
He also said Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, should be held liable for the death of the former academic leader.
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