MORE facts have emerged on the death of Professor Festus Iyayi, as it was revealed in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Wednesday, that the former Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) president died as a result of excessive bleeding, resulting from an object which pierced through his heart during the accident. He was also alleged to be hypertensive, in view of the discovery of a pair of Novasc, an anti-hypertensive drug found beside his seat. Professor Iyayi, it will be recalled, died on Tuesday, in a road crash involving the convoy of the governor of Kogi State, Captain Wada Idris, on Lokoja-Abuja road. He was on his way to Kano, to attend the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUU). The remains of the activist were, however, moved to Benin, Edo State, around 12.00 noon on Wednesday, after his younger brother, Peter Iyayi, a lecturer at the Federal University, Lokoja, claimed them at the Specialist Hospital, Lokoja. It was learnt that the brother came with some officials of ASUU, including the chairman of Ambrose Alli University chapter of the union. The sole administrator of Kogi Specialist Hospital, Dr Paul Amodu, told newsmen in his office that the convoy of the Kogi State governor brushed the side which Iyayi sat, causing an object to pierce through his heart. He said the deceased was found with his seat belt on, with a copy of a national newspapers he was reading in his hand “Beside his seat was a pair of Novasc, an anti-hypetensive drug, which suggests that he might have been hypertensive,” he said. He added that the late Professor Iyayi had no other injury or fracture arising from the crash, even as his corpse had been evacuated from the hospital. Dr Amodu disclosed that a woman sitting in the front of the vehicle, Dr Ngozi Ilo, had part of her right hand flesh removed as a result of the crash, but with no fracture as alleged. According to him “when she was rushed here, we discovered she had a little cut in the leg and a fracture in her Tibia bone (upper part of the leg) and a consultant, Dr Chizoba Osita Nwokese, treated her and she has since been discharged. “I believe that what will be will be. Iyayi was just destined to die this way because nobody was unconscious in his vehicle, but only four other people in the governor’s convoy sustained injuries. “Although he must have been hypentensive, he died as a result of a penetrating object, which went straight through his heart.” However, the Kogi State sector commander of FRSC, Mr Olakunle Motajo, told newsmen in his office that it was too early to apportion blame, adding that the investigating team of his command had swung into action. He said the findings of the team would later be sent to the headquarters of the corps in Abuja, before it could be made public at the end of the week. He confirmed that only one person died, while five others sustained injuries in the accident. Motajo denied confirming that the vehicle on Governor Idris Wada’s convoy ran into the bus the late university don and his colleagues boarded. He added that he was embarassed when some national dailies quoted him as confirming that it was the vehicle in the convoy of the governor that ran into the vehicle of the lecturers, asking how he could said that when he was not at the scene. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Wednesday, blamed the death of Professor Iyayi, in a motor accident, on the Federal Government, for its “criminal negligence and executive lawlessness” and on the Kogi State governor, Wada, for his impunity. NLC president, Abdulwaheed Omar, in a statement entitled: “Iyayi did not deserve to die,” said the Kogi State governor was fast acquiring for himself an accident- prone reputation. Omar, in the statement, said “Iyayi’s death leaves a sour taste in the mouth and is totally avoidable. It is blameable on Federal Government’s act of criminal negligence on the one hand and executive lawlessness/impunity on the part of the Kogi State governor, who is fast acquiring for himself an accident-prone reputation. “The Lokoja-Abuja stretch of road is arguably one of the busiest in the country. The contract for its dualistion was awarded about 10 years ago to ease vehicular movement, as well as reduce carnage on the road. Quite sadly and unfortunately, no appreciable work has been done, thus turning the stretch of the road into a slaughter slab. “In
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 10:47:34 +0000