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abujagirl
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Yesterday, Festus Iyayi, former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) between 1986 and 1988 died in a fatal auto crash involving the convoy of Kogi State Governor Idris Wada.
The accident which occurred at about 11am at Banda village on the Lokoja-Abuja Road is the second fatal crash in one year involving the governor's convoy.
On December 28, 2012, Wada's convoy crashed on its way to Lokoja from Ayingba, Kogi State.
Wada’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC) died on the spot. The governor’s leg was broken. Other officials suffered varying degrees of injuries.
Iyayi and other members of ASUU, University of Benin branch, were on their way to Kano for a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the union scheduled to hold today. The meeting is to enable the NEC receive reports of the congresses that held “simultaneously” in the universities across the country.
According to The Nation, giving account of how the accident occurred, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Kogi State Sector Command Mr. Olakunle Motajo said preliminary investigation revealed that there was wrongful overtaken by the governor’s convoy. He said investigation had started.
Dr. Sunday Abada,an ASUU member who was also part of the ill-fated ASUU delegation, also gave The Nation an account of how the accident happened.
“About 15 union members from various institutions, moving in a three-vehicle convoy, were on their way to Kano to participate in the NEC meeting scheduled to hold in Bayero University, Kano (BUK) today.
“We were on our way to Kano State for our NEC meeting holding tomorrow (today) when a vehicle in the convoy of Governor Idris Wada on full speed left its lane and collided with the vehicle conveying our members along the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway. Prof Iyayi died on the spot.
“It was later, at 4pm, the govenror led a group of reporters to the Specialist Hospital where the remains of Iyayi are deposited. We had to chase him away because we discovered that he was trying to politicise the incident. But I can confirm to you that only Iyayi died in the accident; the other victims are receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital".
UNIBEN ASUU Chair Dr. Tony Moye-Emina who was also injured in the crash gave his own account of how the accident happened, “The governor’s vehicle left its lane and rammed into our union vehicle. The impact made our bus to somersault several times. It was by the grace of God that I survived but we lost Prof Iyayi and I learnt Dr Iloh is critically injured,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government, in a statement on the incident said the governor’s convoy was “on a speed of 80 kilometers per hour when a bus collided with the escort van”. “Sadly, in the storm, it was discovered that a renowned academic and respected human rights advocate, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who was in the other vehicle, died in the accident. There were other victims with varying degrees of injuries from both sides.
“The victims were immediately evacuated to the State Specialist Hospital in Lokoja on the governor’s directive. The injured are responding to treatment.
“The Governor has ordered full scale investigation into the matter and paid a visit to the injured. Capt. Wada sympathised with the victims and their families. He wished the deceased a peaceful repose of his soul.”
The accident which occurred at about 11am at Banda village on the Lokoja-Abuja Road is the second fatal crash in one year involving the governor's convoy.
On December 28, 2012, Wada's convoy crashed on its way to Lokoja from Ayingba, Kogi State.
Wada’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC) died on the spot. The governor’s leg was broken. Other officials suffered varying degrees of injuries.
Iyayi and other members of ASUU, University of Benin branch, were on their way to Kano for a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the union scheduled to hold today. The meeting is to enable the NEC receive reports of the congresses that held “simultaneously” in the universities across the country.
According to The Nation, giving account of how the accident occurred, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Kogi State Sector Command Mr. Olakunle Motajo said preliminary investigation revealed that there was wrongful overtaken by the governor’s convoy. He said investigation had started.
Dr. Sunday Abada,an ASUU member who was also part of the ill-fated ASUU delegation, also gave The Nation an account of how the accident happened.
“About 15 union members from various institutions, moving in a three-vehicle convoy, were on their way to Kano to participate in the NEC meeting scheduled to hold in Bayero University, Kano (BUK) today.
“We were on our way to Kano State for our NEC meeting holding tomorrow (today) when a vehicle in the convoy of Governor Idris Wada on full speed left its lane and collided with the vehicle conveying our members along the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway. Prof Iyayi died on the spot.
“It was later, at 4pm, the govenror led a group of reporters to the Specialist Hospital where the remains of Iyayi are deposited. We had to chase him away because we discovered that he was trying to politicise the incident. But I can confirm to you that only Iyayi died in the accident; the other victims are receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital".
UNIBEN ASUU Chair Dr. Tony Moye-Emina who was also injured in the crash gave his own account of how the accident happened, “The governor’s vehicle left its lane and rammed into our union vehicle. The impact made our bus to somersault several times. It was by the grace of God that I survived but we lost Prof Iyayi and I learnt Dr Iloh is critically injured,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government, in a statement on the incident said the governor’s convoy was “on a speed of 80 kilometers per hour when a bus collided with the escort van”. “Sadly, in the storm, it was discovered that a renowned academic and respected human rights advocate, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who was in the other vehicle, died in the accident. There were other victims with varying degrees of injuries from both sides.
“The victims were immediately evacuated to the State Specialist Hospital in Lokoja on the governor’s directive. The injured are responding to treatment.
“The Governor has ordered full scale investigation into the matter and paid a visit to the injured. Capt. Wada sympathised with the victims and their families. He wished the deceased a peaceful repose of his soul.”