Outrage has greeted the killing 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 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 of 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 noting that it is very sad coming at this time.

On his part, the National Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, Chibuzo Asomugha, said the death of Iyayi is both shocking and disappointing.
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 adding that the convoy of the Kogi State governor in its usual manner, has cut short the life of one of their best.
Reacting to Prof. Iyayi’s death, Prof. Friday Okonofua of the University of Benin accused Governor Wada of being responsible for his death.

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.

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.