TRAGIC: Former ASUU President Festus Iyayi Killed By Kogi Governor’s Convoy

The ongoing strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has claimed its biggest casualty, as the renowned writer, university teacher and activist Dr. Festus Iyayi died in a road accident on his way to the national congress of ASUU in Kano.

The President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, confirmed his death to the reporters. He said the sad news was broken to the union in the morning of November 12, 2013, Tuesday.

According to report, Mr. Festus Iyayi was killed when a car in the convoy of the Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, rammed into his vehicle near Lokoja in Kogi State.

A police source as well as an eyewitness told a national daily that Mr. Iyayi died instantly at the scene of the ghastly accident.

With today’s accident, Governor Idris has further consolidated his reputation as having one of the most reckless convoys in Nigeria where drivers attached to governors and other top officials are known for driving dangerously.

In a brief telephone conversation today, Kogi’s Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi, confirmed that the governor’s convoy was involved in an accident earlier today. But Mr. Awoniyi said he had not obtained the details of how the accident happened, saying that he was away in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, on official duty.

Mr Iyayi was born in 1947, in Ugbegun, Ishan, Edo State.

In 1968, he left the shores of Nigeria to pursue his higher education, obtaining a M.Sc in Industrial Economics from the Kiev Institute of Economics, in the former U.S.S.R., and then his Ph.D from the University of Bradford, England.

In 1980, he went back to Benin and became a lecturer in the Department of Business Administration at the University of Benin.

A well known author, with four books to his credit (Violence, The Contract, Heroes, and Awaiting Court Martial), Dr. Iyayi won the Commonwealth Prize for Literature for his book Heroes in 1988. 

In his writing, Dr. Festus Iyayi used to have a tough and even radical stance on social and political issues.

He was the President of ASUU from 1986, but in 1988 the union was briefly banned and Iyayai was detained. 
May his soul Rest In Peace.
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