The NLC condemned the state of the
Abuja-Lokoja road.
The Nigeria Labour Congress,
NLC, on Wednesday said it may
be compelled to drag the Federal
and Kogi State governments before
the National Human Rights
Commission, NHRC, if they fail to
take full responsibility for the death
of the former President of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU, Festus Iyayi. Mr. Iyayi died in
an accident allegedly caused by a
vehicle on the Kogi State
governor’s convoy.
The senior lecturer in the
Department of Economics, University
of Benin, died on Tuesday along
Lokoja-Abuja road while on his way
to Kano to attend a meeting of the
ASUU National Executive Council,
NEC, as part of efforts to find
solution to the ongoing strike by
university lecturers.
The General Secretary of the NLC,
Chris Uyott, told PREMIUM TIMES in
a telephone interview that though
the NLC President, Abdulwahed
Omar, had earlier demanded that
the Federal and Kogi State
governments be held accountable for
the death of the eminent scholar,
the Congress may petition the NHRC
to ensure that he did not die in
vain.
In his remarks, The NLC President,
who described Mr. Iyayi’s demise
as “painful and tragic”, said his
death was not only a blow to ASUU
and the NLC, but a blow to the
entire country to which he
committed his entire life.
“He was a great scholar, who
bestrode virtually all the
disciplines like a colossus,” he said,
adding that though he was a
Management Science Scholar, Mr.
Iyayi was remarkable in his
reputation a novelist and literary
icon, whose works were a standard
read for literary students in
universities across the world.
“Iyayi was a leading authority in
Industrial Relations and an
activist to the core, often deploying
his prodigious energy and
intellectual prowess to the cause. As
President of the Academic Staff
Union in 1986, he set the tone and
pace of ASUU protests, in spite of
the overbearing military government.
It certainly must be in
appreciation of this that the
executive of ASUU, had always
thought if fit to
involve him in negotiations,” Mr.
Omar said.
He said the deceased’s passion for
activism knew no bounds, noting
in particular the years of his
sabbatical with the Congress when
he impacted positively on the
activities of the labour body.
“Iyayi’s death leaves a sour taste in
the mouth and is totally avoidable.
It is blamable on federal
government’s act of criminal
negligence on the one hand and
executive lawlessness/impunity on
the part of the Kogi State Governor
who is fast acquiring for himself
an accident-prone reputation,” he
said.
The Lokoja-Abuja stretch of road,
which he pointed out was one of
the busiest in the country, had
suffered neglect by the Federal and
Kogi State governments, as the
contract for its dualisation awarded
about ten years ago to ease
vehicular movement and reduce
accidents on the road is yet to be
completed, and has caused several
accidents.
Mr. Omar said the NLC was of the
view that there was no
justification for abandoning the
road, stating the government must
be ready to let Nigerians know the
facts of the contract.
Government, he warned, would be
doing very little to help itself if
it shielded, rather than prosecute
the criminals responsible for the
non-completion of the road. He
urged “all siren-blowing and terror-
dealing convoys to exercise utmost
Hcaution as well as have regard for
other road users.”
He also urged the National Assembly
to criminalise fatal road crashes as
part of the process of bringing
accountability to road use.
Abuja-Lokoja road.
The Nigeria Labour Congress,
NLC, on Wednesday said it may
be compelled to drag the Federal
and Kogi State governments before
the National Human Rights
Commission, NHRC, if they fail to
take full responsibility for the death
of the former President of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU, Festus Iyayi. Mr. Iyayi died in
an accident allegedly caused by a
vehicle on the Kogi State
governor’s convoy.
The senior lecturer in the
Department of Economics, University
of Benin, died on Tuesday along
Lokoja-Abuja road while on his way
to Kano to attend a meeting of the
ASUU National Executive Council,
NEC, as part of efforts to find
solution to the ongoing strike by
university lecturers.
The General Secretary of the NLC,
Chris Uyott, told PREMIUM TIMES in
a telephone interview that though
the NLC President, Abdulwahed
Omar, had earlier demanded that
the Federal and Kogi State
governments be held accountable for
the death of the eminent scholar,
the Congress may petition the NHRC
to ensure that he did not die in
vain.
In his remarks, The NLC President,
who described Mr. Iyayi’s demise
as “painful and tragic”, said his
death was not only a blow to ASUU
and the NLC, but a blow to the
entire country to which he
committed his entire life.
“He was a great scholar, who
bestrode virtually all the
disciplines like a colossus,” he said,
adding that though he was a
Management Science Scholar, Mr.
Iyayi was remarkable in his
reputation a novelist and literary
icon, whose works were a standard
read for literary students in
universities across the world.
“Iyayi was a leading authority in
Industrial Relations and an
activist to the core, often deploying
his prodigious energy and
intellectual prowess to the cause. As
President of the Academic Staff
Union in 1986, he set the tone and
pace of ASUU protests, in spite of
the overbearing military government.
It certainly must be in
appreciation of this that the
executive of ASUU, had always
thought if fit to
involve him in negotiations,” Mr.
Omar said.
He said the deceased’s passion for
activism knew no bounds, noting
in particular the years of his
sabbatical with the Congress when
he impacted positively on the
activities of the labour body.
“Iyayi’s death leaves a sour taste in
the mouth and is totally avoidable.
It is blamable on federal
government’s act of criminal
negligence on the one hand and
executive lawlessness/impunity on
the part of the Kogi State Governor
who is fast acquiring for himself
an accident-prone reputation,” he
said.
The Lokoja-Abuja stretch of road,
which he pointed out was one of
the busiest in the country, had
suffered neglect by the Federal and
Kogi State governments, as the
contract for its dualisation awarded
about ten years ago to ease
vehicular movement and reduce
accidents on the road is yet to be
completed, and has caused several
accidents.
Mr. Omar said the NLC was of the
view that there was no
justification for abandoning the
road, stating the government must
be ready to let Nigerians know the
facts of the contract.
Government, he warned, would be
doing very little to help itself if
it shielded, rather than prosecute
the criminals responsible for the
non-completion of the road. He
urged “all siren-blowing and terror-
dealing convoys to exercise utmost
Hcaution as well as have regard for
other road users.”
He also urged the National Assembly
to criminalise fatal road crashes as
part of the process of bringing
accountability to road use.
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