Prof. Iyayi’s Burial: ASUU Bars Government Officials

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has barred government officials from participating in the burial programmes of its former president, Festus Iyayi.
The union is also demanding that an  autopsy be performed on the corpse of Iyayi, to determine the actual cause of death.
The autopsy demand followed controversy over the actual cause of the death of the late ASUU activist.
A statement issued by the UNIBEN ASUU chapter, stated: “Professor Festus Iyayi did not just die in an accident but that he was willfully murdered by the state and its agents.”
The union added that at the appropriate time, ASUU and Prof. Iyayi’s family would demand concrete answers from the state for his murder.
The statement which was signed by the union’s chairman and secretary, Dr. Anthony Monye-Emina and Okeri Henry, respectively, said it was aware that there were deliberate steps being taken by the state and its
agents to distort the facts of the ‘accident’ as it happened.
“This started with the reckless and irresponsible press statement that was issued by the Kogi State Government to try to explain away the killing of Professor Iyayi, and there are further attempts to conceal and distort available evidence. We shall of course meet them with the facts,” the statement said.
The union while barring government officials from Iyayi’s burial arrangements, said it and Iyayi’s family were capable of giving the late professor a befitting burial he deserves.
The union also assured that Governor Idris Wada and those responsible for the accident that claimed the life of Iyayi would be made to face trial.
Commenting on ASUU’s statement, a spokesman for the Iyayi family, Prof. Robert Ebewele, explained that the issue of autopsy was ASUU’s affair and that the family would go on with burial plans for Iyayi earlier slated for the first week of December.