The funeral ceremony for the late Prof. Festus
Iyayi began on Wednesday in Benin, Edo State
capital, with a solidarity march by members
of the Academic Staff Union of Universities
and civil society groups.
Members of ASUU in their hundreds from
other universities including the University of
Ilorin, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Delta
State University, Abraka joined their
colleagues in the University of Benin to pay
their last respect to the late Iyayi.
Other groups represented included the
Nigeria Labour Congress, Conference of Non-
Governmental Organisations, Joint Action
Front and Parents Consultative Association of
Nigerian Universities.
The march, which began at about 10am,
included five kilometres walk to the residence
of the late professor of Business
Administration, on Bello Street, off Benin
Lagos Expressway.
Addressing the participants in the march at
the residence of late Iyayi, the Chairman of
UNIBEN chapter of ASUU, Dr. Tony Monye-
Emina, described the deceased as one of the
country’s number one fallen heroes and a
hero of ASUU struggles.
Monye-Emina said the march was the
beginning of activities to mark the exit of the
late professor.
Recalling the journey that claimed the life of
Iyayi, he said it began on a pleasant note that
morning, “with Iyayi reliving the last meeting
with President Goodluck Jonathan and how he
urged them to show true commitment to the
struggle.”
Also addressing the crowd, human rights
lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), urged ASUU
not to relent in the struggle but to continue
where Iyayi stopped.
He vowed to ensure that recklessness on the
roads by government officials was brought to
an end.
He said that ASUU and the Iyayi family
members had mandated him to challenge the
“murder” of Iyayi in court.
Also addressing the crowd of sympathisers,
Chairman of ASUU, University of Ilorin
chapter, Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, said the
late Iyayi had “cloned many other Iyayis while
alive, to carry on the fight.”
He said the only way to ensure that what Iyayi
fought for was not allowed to die with him
was by sustaining the struggle.
He said, “If the Federal Government truly
respects Iyayi, it should go ahead to
implement the agreement they signed with
Iyayi and other ASUU officials, rather than
shift the date for resumption by the lecturers,
failure to which they would lose their jobs.”
Other speakers eulogised Iyayi, saying he had
actually been immortalised.
Iyayi’s eldest son, Ehidiamen, who received
the mourners on behalf of the family, thanked
them for the support they had given the
family since their father’s demise.
He was later presented with a signed copy of
the condolence register opened by the union.
Meanwhile, ASUU chapter in Tai Solarin
University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, held a
candle-light procession in honour of the
deceased on Wednesday morning.
Participants at the procession sang solidarity
songs during a 25-minute walk within the
university campus as a mark of respect for
the deceased.
Chairman of the TASUED branch of ASUU, Dr.
Adebayo Akinsanya, described the late
scholar’s death as painful.
“His death has really left a vacuum in the
academic circle and we are going to miss him
a lot. We organised this procession in honour
of our late past president and to bid him good
night with the hope of meeting him in
heaven,” Adesanya said.
He noted that Iyayi lost his life in the course
of the struggle for the lecturers’ wellbeing,
adding that he would always be remembered
for his selfless service to mankind.
“Iyayi believed in the freedom of the people
and we at TASUED will continue to fight until
we are sure that his efforts were not in vain,”
he added.
On the ongoing ASUU strike, Akinsanya said
that the union would call off the strike once it
was sure that the Federal Government had met
the lecturers’ demands.
“We are fighting this cause for posterity and
for the future of education in this country; we
are confident that we will win,” he said.
Copyright PUNCH.
No comments:
Post a Comment