--Outrage Over Killing Of Festus Iyayi By Police Escort Truck In Kogi Governor's Convoy-PM News, Lagos
Killer government police escort cars in a ghastly accidentBy Eromosele EbhomeleOutrage has greeted the killing, yesterday, of former President of the Academic Staff Union of University, ASUU, Professor Festus Iyayi, by a car in the convoy of the Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, with many slamming the governor over his drivers' recklessness.
Some even want the driver of the car that killed Iyayi prosecuted and that, if possible, Nigerians should frustrate any future attempts by the governor to seek election into any public office.
Iyayi died at 66, in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital, on his way to Kano for a meeting of the ASUU National Executive Council concerning the over four-month old strike embarked upon by the union.
Lagos-based lawyer, Femi Falana, while expressing shock at the death of his former client, urged Nigerians to stop agonising and take action.
Falana, who fought and won the case against the sack of Iyayi and Professor Itse Sagay from the University of Benin during the era of Professor Grace Alele-Williams as Vice Chancellor, also complained that governors in the country, with the exception the Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola, are known for their reckless convoys.
He said the driver that killed Iyayi must be arrested and prosecuted because the drivers in Wada's convoy are notorious for causing fatal accidents.
When contacted this morning, Professor Itse Sagay was too devastated to speak on the death of Iyayi as they were very close during Iyayi's lifetime.
Prof. Ahunna Okerengwo, the Chairman, University of Port Harcourt chapter of ASUU, said she was still in shock over the death of Prof. Iyayi.Toni Kan, a journalist and author called Iyayi's death a sacrifice, another major and sad loss of one of the nation's best.
The Head, Department of English, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Damian Opata, described the death as unfortunate.
"It is very sad coming at this time," he said.The National Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, Chibuzo Asomugha, said the death of Iyayi is both shocking and disappointing.
"What! How did it happen? I can't believe this! This is quite shocking and disappointing. I'm lost for words, I can't make further comments, please," he reacted when our reporter contacted him.Also reacting to the sudden death of Iyayi, chairman of University of Lagos chapter of ASUU, Oghenekaro Ogbinaka, condemned the manner in which the former National President of the union lost his life.
"The convoy of the Kogi State governor in its usual manner, has cut short the life of one of our best. It is a very sad day for ASUU," Ogbinaka said.
Reacting to Prof. Iyayi's death, Prof. Friday Okonofua of the University of Benin, accused Governor Wada of being responsible for his death."It is the governor of Kogi that killed him. He was killed by a reckless convoy. He killed one of our most distinguished academics who has won laurels all over the world. We would hold the governor of Kogi responsible for his death," Prof. Okonofua said.
President Goodluck Jonathan, in his condolence message to Iyayi's family, the leadership and members of the ASUU, said he was especially dismayed that Iyayi died while going to contribute to efforts to finally resolve the ASUU strike which has disrupted academics in the nation's universities for over four months.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state used the opportunity to appeal to ASUU to reconsider government's position on the strike.
Sunny Akhigbe, a Nigerian who commented on the death of Iyayi, said: "this is tragically painful, a very big loss. I knew this fellow in UNIBEN when ASUU was very vibrant. This Nasir Fagge-led ASUU of today is not serious. Are they so broke that they cannot take care of their elders?
"Why should an elder who led the association almost three decades ago cramp himself into a bus and set out for a journey of more than 14 hours by road to attend NEC meeting? Even leaders of road transport workers will not do that."
Born in 1947, Iyayi, who was the ASUU president in 1986, was also an author with four books to his credit. He also won the Commonwealth Prize for Literature for 'Heroes', one of his books, in 1988.
Toyin FalolaDepartment of HistoryThe University of Texas at Austin104 Inner Campus DriveAustin, TX 78712-0220USA512 475 7224512 475 7222 (fax)
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Government and other public office holders are known for their reckless convoys....News
.He said the driver that killed Iyayi must be arrested and prosecuted because the drivers in Wada's convoy are notorious for causing fatal accidents. -News
My people:
It is needless to cry over the untimely death of many promising Nigerian citizens, as a result of the recklessness of our elected leaders and their convoys on what we call roads, the most recent of which is the former President of ASUU, Prof. Iyayi.
The transformation agenda forbids our public outrage and many of us can be prosecuted for defiling the airwaves by condemning the Governor Emeritus of Kogi state, who should be limping by now, if not for Providence. Let the convoys of our Governors, except Fashola, our NASS leadership, State Assemblies, LG Chairmen and Caretakers or Interim Administartors, etc., etc., continue unabated to pollute the air with their sirens and speeding. Since the FRSC has been scrapped, for failing to get the drivers in these convoys to a National Conference to decide and safeguard their future and lives, we need to put in place a new mechanism. But not by our public outrage!
Have we forgotten so soon? The IBBs, Abachas,Abdusalami's, Obasanjos and Jonathan's in our recent history, just to mention but a few, instituted this reform agenda of convoys for our elected leaders who stole our mandate, whether through the berret or hula or fila, (native cap). If these men could be given the highest National Honour in the land, GCFR, why should we condemn what they championed as part of measures to distance themselves from us, the 100million destitutes according to World Bank's latest study? The transformation agenda may not succeed if we do not have convoys and blaring sirens, mind you.
Did we all elect them anyway? Or they stole our mandate? A least this is not a People's Republic of Nigeria as millions of us desire and clamor for. This is a federal republic, where part of the trappings is a convoy. I even hear some of you say that insecurity is one of the reasons why they ride in convoys, with bullet proof vehicles and tinted glasses. Are we not secure, with all the security votes that can settle the ASUU demands for the transformation of our tertiary education once and for all, being utilized to terrorism us? How much is 1.3 trillion Naira that the NASS cannot approve a virement? And you all clamor for the dismantling of convoys?
Oduahgate and other 'gates' are part of the transformation agenda that convoys have come to represent. Are members of theNASS not entitled to convoys and reckless driving? If only we have a Road Safety Commission in place! If only we have speed cameras everywhere? These will help government to arrest anybody protesting or planning to protest the use of convoys by our elected representatives many of whom we do not get to see again after their swearing-in! Has anybody probed the bullet proof jeeps the NASS ordered the other day? Do you expect these to share the same road with you? I like convoys, because they clear the road for the quick evacuation of their loot and no STF or JTF dare stop them for check-up!
One may not be too far from conjecturing that the UniBen delegation did not want to fly to Kano for that all-important NEC meeting because of Oduahgate. When MTN or any other network provide could have facilitated a phone conferencing to decide this for ASUU in the first place. Or who says that is simply for eBusiness only?
Abeg, my people, let the convoys continue their terrorism and let no member of my clan complain any more. The spearheader of transformation did not promise us otherwise. In some states, governors outlawed sirens but they themselves or and their cabinets use them with impunity! We are in Animal Farm. Remember George Orwell?
Shalom!
'Diran
Noddin 'in 'Ed
Sent from my iPad
