President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President David Mark have mourned the death of the former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Festus Iyayi. Jonathan described his death as tragic, while Mark said Nigeria had lost a hero.
A statement issued by the president’s spokesman Dr Abati said the President “extends sincere condolences to Dr. Iyayi’s family as well as his colleagues, friends and associates across the country and beyond.”
The statement read I part: “The President joins them in mourning the renowned academic and award-winning writer who rose to national prominence in the 1980s with his courageous leadership of ASUU in its struggle for a better working environment for teachers and academics in the nation’s university system.
“He is particularly dismayed by the fact that Dr. Iyayi has sadly lost his life while going to contribute to efforts to finally resolve the current ASUU strike which has unfortunately disrupted academics in most of the nation’s universities for over four months.
“President Jonathan prays that God Almighty will comfort all who mourn Dr. Iyayi and grant his soul eternal rest.”
Iyayi died in a head-on collision with the convoy of Kogi State governor, Alhaji Idris Wada while he was on his way to the national congress of ASUU in Kano.
Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) University of Lagos Chapter, Dr. Ogenekaro Ogbinaka, who was at the scene of the accident, confirmed his death to africanexaminer.com.
In the car with late Prof. Festus Iyayi are ASUU’s welfare secretary, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Ile and ASUU chairman, Uniben, Dr. Anthony who were badly injured and unconscious.
Ogbinaka blamed the accident on the bad portion of highway around Lokoja in Kogi state.
Similarly, Senate President David Mark lamented that Nigeria has lost an academic giant.
Mark noted the giant strides of the university scholar which brought international fame and value to the nation.
He noted with pain that Iyayi was one of the leaders of ASUU dialoging with the federal government on how to resolve the lingering strike action by the university teachers.
Mark said: “This is one very painful death. Dr. Iyayi was among the University Teachers meeting with the federal government side on how to end this strike. As usual , his contributions have been forthright and rewarding. That he died at this time his contributions were most needed is a huge set back.
” I remember his frank and honest contributions towards ending the strike and addressing the ills in the tertiary education in Nigeria when we met last week. His death is unfortunate. It is a huge loss to the nation.”
Senator Mark sympathized with the university community, the immediate family , the government and people of Edo state and the nation on the death of Iyayi.
He prayed that God in His infinite mercies grant the bereaved family the fortitude to bear this sad loss just as he Prayed that the almighty creator grant the deceased eternal rest.