The road accident which led to the untimely death of Professor Festus Iyayi, 66, a former ASUU president and world class writer and academic, in Lokoja while on his way to a meeting in Kano to end the 4-month-old ASUU strike, has come as a rude shock to the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM.
The demise of Prof Iyayi has come at a time when his academic services are needed the most. PDM deplores the incessant loss of valuable Nigerian lives due to avoidable road accidents caused by poor road construction and, often, by reckless and dangerous driving by highly placed Nigerians.
“Nigeria has endured too much loss of its priceless human assets through untimely deaths resulting from unnecessary road accidents”, lamented the National Chairman of PDM, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, who spoke through his Media Advisor, Alaba Yusuf.
He added that: “Prof. Iyayi’s death, in a car crash allegedly involving the convoy of Kogi State Governor is regrettable and speaks to the need by highly placed Nigerians to lead by example instead of engaging in acts which continue to make our roads unsafe. Iyayi was a global academic icon who needed not to die in the manner he did. We pray for the repose of his soul and further pray God to grant his family the fortitude to bear the sad loss”.