There seems to be a new light as Iyayi’s Death Dashed Students Hope For a End To ASUU Strike

Earlier in the week, Nigerians were
optimistic that after the National
Executive Council (NEC) meeting of
the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) meeting scheduled for Wednesday, the four-
month-old strike embarked upon by the union would be called off, but the unfortunate demise of Professor Festus Iyayi, a former president of ASUU just barely 24 hours to the meeting again dashed the hopes of parents, students and other stakeholders.
Every effort to make ASUU call off
its four-month-old strike had failed
to yield positive results. Not even
an intervention by the Vice President, Arc. Namadi Sambo could make the union change its
mind. Even a N200 billion
promised by the federal government was rejected by the
union. They insisted that the
government honour the 2009
agreement it entered with the union.
The 2009 agreement entailed that
the federal government provide
N1.3 trillion in a space of four years to improve infrastructures in
the 61 federal universities across
the country. By 2012, the government was expected to have
released N100 billion and N400
billion in 2013. Informed sources
said this was actually why the
union refused to accept the N200
billion earlier promised the union
by the government.
However, after several breakdown
in negotiations, President Goodluck
Jonathan stepped in and offered the union a new agreement which
stipulates that the government will
inject N1.1 trillion in a space of five years into the university system.
Though, inside sources said many
ASUU officials were not really
pleased with the new agreement
because they felt government also
failed to keep the 2009 agreement
and were skeptical of government
sincerity, Professor Festus Iyayi, a
former president of ASUU urged his
fellow comrades to at least give the
government the benefit of the doubt and call off the strike.
After the meeting, and heeding to
the advice of the former president,
the current ASUU president, Dr
Nasir Fagge promised to take the
offer to his colleagues.
By Monday, all the various
congresses of ASUU met in their
various locations and deliberated
on the protracted strike and the
general consensus was that the NEC would meet on Wednesday where a final decision would be taken.
Hence, there was a glimmer of
hope that the strike would be called off after the NEC meeting.
But none of the students or parents
saw it coming. Most parents were
beginning to give a sigh of relief
and even president Jonathan would
have been relieved that finally, he
was able to put an end to a strike
that has lasted four months and
was almost turning into an
embarrassment to his
administration.
Like every Nigerian who meant
well for the university system,
Iyayi was on his way to Kano to
attend the NEC meeting when the
bus he was travelling in was
involved in an accident with the
convoy of the Kogi state governor.
Immediately the news of his death
went to town, ASUU suspended the
planned NEC meeting, thereby
dashing any hope of calling off the
strike.
For now, none of the ASUU officials
has spoken on when the NEC
meeting would be convened.
Acknowledging the role of the late
Iyayi, NLC president, Abdulwaheed
Omar said, “He died in service
because he was on his way to Kano
for the ASUU NEC meeting and one
could recall the role he played in
our meeting with President
Goodluck Jonathan last week as
regarding the suspension of the
strike.”
He said further, “Iyayi died on his
way to Kano to attend a meeting as
part of the process of finding an
enduring solution to the ASUU
strike. Others who were traveling
with him are lying critically ill at
the hospital.
“Professor Iyayi’s death is not only
a blow to ASUU and the Congress; it
is a blow to the entire country to
which he committed his entire life.
“Iyayi was an activist to the core,
often deploying his prodigious
energy and intellectual prowess to
the cause. As President of the
Academic Staff Union in 1986, he
set the tone and pace of ASUU
protests, in spite of the overbearing
military government. It certainly
must be in appreciation of this that
the executive of ASUU, had always
thought if fit to involve him in
negotiations.”
Some reports have quoted family
sources as saying the burial of the
former President of Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU), has
been tentatively fixed for first week
of December.
Some parents and students, who
spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday,
said that the suspension of the
meeting might lead to further
elongation of the strike by university lecturers. They described
the latest development as disheartening and devastating.
“It’s my hope that his death will
spur ASUU leadership to honour
him by finding a lasting solution to
the strike even as I urge all those
who are alive to do all they could
with steadfastness and courage,” a
parent, Chidi Amaka said.
Mike Odia, another parent, said
that the new development had
dashed the hope of parents,
students and many Nigerians for a
resolution of the action.
“As a parent, I feel very worried
about this new development. Over
four months down the line, we
thought we were getting to the end
of the strike until this unfortunate
accident that claimed the
professor’s life.
“We were happy when the
president waded in and made a
promise to the ASUU national
leaders and they said they were
going to study the offer. We
thought this would have brought
the strike to an end.
“But with this development, they
have suspended their NEC meeting
and one is not sure if the end is in
sight.
“We only hope and pray that
goodwill will prevail on the ASUU
leadership to have a re-think while
we commiserate with the families
of the late professor,” Odia said.
A student, Stella Adeyemi, said that
she had expected that by next week
she would be returning to the
campus.
“I am very sad about this happening. I am a final year student and we do not know what
the fate of those of us that are in
public universities are at the
moment.
“We pray that as ASUU members
reflect on the loss of Iyayi, they
should also reflect on the over
four-month-old strike”.
Another student, Ify Samuel, said
that it was sad that ASUU lost one
of its strong members, adding that
the union was right in suspending
the meeting.
She, however, called on the union
to take immediate steps to call off
the strike after the mourning
period.

Though a meeting was to be held yesterday,concerning the on-going asuu strike which is most likely to be called off. News about the meeting would be made known to my readers immediately its out...