Iyayi Killed By Kogi
Governor’s Convoy.
SaharaReporters has
further confirmed that
Festus Iyayi, a well-known
Nigerian novelist and
activist academic, 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
SaharaReporters that Mr.
Iyayi died instantly at the
scene of the ghastly
accident. Mr. Iyayi was on
his way to Kano to attend
a meeting of the Academic
Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) whose members
have been on strike since
July. The union’s meeting
in Kano was called to
decide on a possible
calling off of the strike and
a return to teaching.
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
late December 2012,
Governor Idris’s convoy
was also involved in a
deadly accident that
claimed the life of his aide
de camp. Mr. Idris was
hospitalized at the
National Hospital, Abuja
where he was treated for
serious injuries.
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, telling our
correspondent that he was
away in Uyo, capital of
Akwa Ibom State, on
official duty.
In the early and
mid-1980s, Mr. Iyayi broke
out of the confines of his
academic discipline and
emerged as one of
Nigeria’s most radical
writers with such novels
as Heroes, Violence, and
The Contract.
Mr. Iyayi studied
economics and business
management in the old
Soviet Union as well as in
the UK, and became a
career-long professor of
business at the University
of Benin (UNIBEN).
A fearless, outspoken
member of ASUU, he was
at one time a leader of the
union’s chapter at UNIBEN
before becoming the
group’s national leader in
1986 during the
dictatorship of General
Ibrahim Babangida. In the
early 90s he was elected
as the President of the
Committee for the Defence
of Human rights (CDHR).
His death will be seen as
the biggest individual
casualty of ASUU’s
prolonged strike as well as
the history of accidents
caused by the deranged
driving by convoys
traveling with Nigerian
state governors.
ASUU President Nasir
Fagge confirmed his death
to SaharaReporters. He
said the sad news was
broken to the union a few
hours ago.
A lawyer in Abuja told
SaharaReporters that he
hoped Mr. Iyayi’s family
would sue Governor Idris
for failing to restrain the
recklessness of drivers
attached to his convoy.
“This madness by the
convoys of governors will
not stop until citizens
affected by it start rising
to say a big no,” the
lawyer said. -CULLED FROM SAHARA
REPORTERS