by Chi Ibe
As Nigerians mourn the date for a former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, and famed author, Professor Festus Iyayi, there is groundswell of anger over the fact that he appears to have been killed by the convoy of the Kogi governor, Idris Wada.
If this is the case, it would be the second reported time in the past two years that the governor’s convoy has led to the death of a Nigerian citizen. In December last year, his convoy caused a crash that broke the governor’s leg, killed a security aide and injured at least one other official of the state.
According to Premium Times, “Witnesses said Mr. Iyayi, 66, died along the the Lokoja-Abuja highway in an accident involving the the convoy of Kogi state Governor, Idris Wada.”
The late university teacher was among ASUU leaders who met with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja last week to deliberate on how to end the four-month strike by lecturers. According to the website,
Mr. Iyayi is believed to be travelling to Kano for Wednesday’s National Executive Committee meeting where a vote is likely to be taken on whether the ongoing strike should be called off.
One of the pilot cars in the governor’s convoy reportedly rammed into the vehicle in which Mr. Iyayi and other activists were travelling, killing him instantly, witnesses said.
But the Special Adviser to the Governor, Jacob Edi, said it was untrue that it was the governor’s pilot vehicle that hit Mr. Iyayi’s car.
“There was a collision on a narrow road and it is too early to say who rammed into who,” Mr. Edi told PREMIUM TIMES. ”The ASUU car was dodging a trailer and an accident occurred. It is not fair to politicise this incident.”
Mr. Edi said as soon as the accident happened, the governor directed that the ambulance in the convoy be used to convey the victims to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.
Some of the victims, he said, were also taken to the Government House Clinic.
The Kogi governor’s spokesperson said the governor later visited the hospitals to sympathize with the victims of the accident.
He dismissed suggestions that the accident happened because of overspeeding by his boss’ convoy, saying Mr. Wada’s convoy travels at 80 km per hour.
It will be recalled that in September this year, his deputy was also involved in an accident with his own convoy on the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
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Too early to say (who rammed who)? Does he mean he hasn’t had his beer yet? There were witnesses. Who rammed who is known with certainty and has been from the moment the ramming took place. This is corrupt-speak for “we will determine who rammed who, later, in our own goddamned time, behind closed doors, and we will determine the facts.” Since truth is dead, we may conclude that a war is being waged against the good, the intelligent, and the innocent.