Iyayi May Get National Burial

As Nigerians and the academic community continues to mourn the death of  late Professor Festus Iyayi, indication has emerged that the late former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may be given a national burial in December.
        A member of  ASUU who craved anonymity said plans were underway to ensure that the fallen human right activist is given a heroic burial following his outstanding contribution to the development of the human race. The family and the union are said to be meeting.
“The national leadership of ASUU wants to ensure that our colleague gets a national burial that befits his status sometime in December. It is a great loss to Nigeria and world,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and the Students Union Government (SUG) chapter of the University of Benin have called on the federal government to institute an urgent official inquiry into the circumstances that led to the death of Prof. Festus Iyayi, just as they want an end to executive recklessness which claimed the life of the former ASUU president.
In a separate press statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday and signed by Osahon Enabulele on the behalf of NMA and Rev. David Ugolor, ANEEJ’s executive director respectively, they both expressed great distress at the death of the late scholar and nationalist.

Babalakin mourns Iyayi
A former chairman of Committee of Pro-Chancellors and chairman of BiCourtney Group, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), has expressed shock at the tragic manner in which Prof Iyayi died on Tuesday in Lokoja, Kogi State, while on his way to Kano for a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the union.
Babalakin, who was the chairman of the Implementation Monitoring Committee of the Federal Government/University-based Unions Agreement 2009, said that Iyayi’s death was a sad development and a set-back to the current effort to halt the prolonged industrial action by ASUU.

ASUU denies Saturday date for NEC meeting
ASUU has debunked the rumour doing the rounds that its aborted National Executive Council (NEC) meeting has been rescheduled for Saturday, describing it as unserious and figment of the imagination of those peddling it.
Some media platforms (LEADERSHIP not included) had yesterday quoted undisclosed sources which said that the NEC meeting earlier cancelled by the union following Iyayi’s death, had been slated for Saturday.

UI ASUU suspends activities
      The leadership of ASUU, University of Ibadan chapter, yesterday suspended all union activities.
The union, in a text message sent to all academic staff,  said the decision was due to the death of Professor Iyayi who had died on active duty for the union.

Why Gov Idris’ convoys are involved in accidents — Chidoka
The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Osita Chidoka, yesterday disclosed that the reason why Kogi State government’s convoy drivers are involved in road crashes was because Governor Idris Wada did not send the drivers to the corps for specialised training.
The corps marshal made the disclosure at the occasion to mark the 2013 Africa Road Safety Day/World Day for Remembrance of Road Traffic Crash Victims in Abuja. The FRSC, in conjunction with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), had initiated a training programme for convoy drivers about two years ago with a view to check road crash incidents involving them.

- Leadership

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