Iyayi as biggest casualty of ASUU strike

Prof. Festus Iyayi

The painful death of Prof. Festus Iyayi in an auto crash on the Lokoja-Abuja road in Kogi State perhaps climaxed the traumatic and excruciating four-month face-off between the government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities. While various stakeholders including students, parents, government count their losses regarding the needlessly prolonged strike, Iyayi paid the supreme sacrifice, thus becoming the biggest casualty.

His death is a big loss to the nation. His demise is a terrible blow to the academic community. Nigeria has carelessly lost an erudite scholar. Iyayi’s death has not only diminished the nation, but has also plummeted the already diseased academic system. Indeed, Nigeria has cavalierly allowed a library to be burnt down.

 I encountered the activist academic in my final year at the University of Ibadan through one of his novels entitled, “Violence”, which satirically chronicles the societal injustice, precipitating violence in the country. The creative work is so socially gripping and vividly depicting the ills in our country to such an impressive level that I challenged political office holders to read the book in a write-up published in many newspapers on June 1, 2011 entitled, “Why leaders must read Iyayi’s Violence”.

 Known for his radical and sometimes tough stance on social and political issues, the University of Bradford graduate gallantly  fought and died for the cause of the common man as he was detained in 1986 on account of his quality leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, being the President of the union during the military era. It was the same ASUU meeting he was going to attend in Kano before meeting his untimely death on the death trap called Nigerian road.

    I think the only way to immortalise Iyayi is for the government to give deserved attention to our gasping education sector. The likes of Iyayi should not have been allowed to die on the road fighting for laboratories to be equipped or classrooms to be built. Again, his death has brought to the fore the condition of our roads. Some of our roads are corrosively dangerous, characterised by deep gullies and potholes. Must we continue to lose refined minds like  Iyayi  to bad roads? Let those concerned rise to save life.