Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has described the late former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Dr. Festus Iyayi, as a consummate scholar, writer, activist and gentleman per excellence.
The former Vice President in a statement by his media office in Abuja on Wednesday, noted: “Professor Iyayi lived and died for the good of Nigeria’s education.”
The former Vice President noted that he is diminished by the death of any individual but that the death of Prof. Iyayi in a ghastly auto accident on Wednesday afternoon left him benumbed.
Abubakar said: “Prof. Iyayi, no doubt, lived and died for the good of Nigeria’s education. He not only belonged to the crème-de-la-crème of the global literary world, his activism in ensuring that the standard of education in Nigeria is uplifted will doubtlessly register his name in the Hall of Fame of Nigeria’s education.”
The Turaki Adamawa regretted that the death of Iyayi on his way to Kano to find a solution to the intractable crisis in the Nigerian university education was a price too high to pay, especially to his family.
He noted that it was high time all stakeholders, including the government and ASUU, reached an agreement on outstanding issues to pave way for the end of the strike.
He added: “I believe it’s time for reason to prevail for FG and ASUU to reach accommodation and end this intractable logjam. All stakeholders have lost so much to this strike and the loss of Iyayi should be a wake-up call to end the ASUU strike so that the students can get on with their studies.”
Abubakar mourned with the family and friends of Iyayi, ASUU and the Nigerian and global intellectual community on the loss of “the doyen of the country’s education.”
The Minster of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, has described the death of Iyayi as shocking and a colossal loss to the trade union movement in Nigeria.
Wogu added that Iyayi died at a time when his struggle for improving the standards of education in Nigeria was about yielding positive results in the country.
Commenting on the news of the accident, which led to the death of the unionist, the Minister stated: “I received with shock the sudden death of the former President of ASUU, Professor Festus Iyayi in a fatal motor accident on Lokoja Abuja Expressway. I share in the pains and identify with ASUU and the family of the deceased in this moment of grief.”
Wogu enjoined Nigerians to mourn the renowned academic and award-winning writer, who had contributed immensely in providing good and conducive environment for lecturers in the nation’s university system during his tenure as the president of ASUU.
He sympathised with the President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge, the entire members of the union and prayed God to grant ASUU, the Nigeria labour movement, the Iyayi family and Nigerians at large the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
The Minister wished those who were injured quick recovery.
The Pro National Conference Organisation has also mourned the passing away of one of Iyayi.
A statement by PRONACO, signed by Veteran Wale Okunniyi said: “PRONACO wishes to state that Festus Iyayi’s exit at this crucial time, when the Nation is desperately searching for National Consensus and Political cohesion through the initiative of a Peoples driven National conference is unfortunate and a great loss to the Peoples of Nigeria, as Iyayi was one of the very few scholars and advocate who possess profound understanding of the Nigerian National Question.
“We are of the view that Prof. Festus Iyayi will therefore be remembered for his various interventions towards the autonomy and freedom of the indigenous Peoples and Nationalities for genuine Federalism in Nigeria. His struggles for academic freedom and university autonomy in Nigeria which he pioneered in the 90s with others will also continue to resonate among the masses and youth of our country.
“We strongly believe that by the fact of his demise a vacuum had to fill has been created in both the revolutionary and democratic circles, as Iyayi was a leading voice and a leading light of the Progressive Democratic Movement of Nigeria and the ongoing process for the Peoples National Conference will definitely the ingenious interventions and contributions of Festus Iyayi in bringing about the Peoples Constitution for Nigeria.”
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