by Chi Ibe

Students upset over the postponement of the National Executive Council meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) due to the death of its ex-president, Dr. Festus Iyayi migh have the governor of Kogi to blame.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, “The Kogi Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission has blamed the auto crash that led to the death, on Tuesday, of Prof Festus Iyayi, on wrongful overtaking by a vehicle in the convoy of Kogi state governor, Idris Wada.”

The agency quoted the state’s commander, Olakunle Motajo as saying the accident was caused by a Toyota Hilux bus in the governor’s convoy, according to a preliminary report.

The vehicle, Mr. Motajo said,  made “wrongful overtaking”, ramming into another Toyota Hiace bus belonging to the UNIBEN ASUU chapter  in which Mr. Iyayi and two others were travelling in the opposite direction.

Some residents of Banda community, who witnessed the accident, said the two vehicles collided and the ASUU bus somersaulted three times before hitting a big tree in the bush.

Mr. Iyayi died instantly while two others, including a woman, who sustained fracture in her left arm, were injured. The driver of the bus escaped unhurt, Mr. Motajo said.

NAN reports that seven policemen in the vehicle in the motorcade also sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at the Government House Clinic in Lokoja.

Mr. Iyayi was travelling to Kano for the National Executive Committee meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) scheduled for Wednesday (today) when the accident occurred at about 11:45 a.m., union officials said.

It will be recalled that the governor’s special adviser, Jacob Edi, had yesterday denied culpability.