The Pro-National Conference Organisation (PRONACO), on Wednesday expressed a deep sense of loss following the death of Prof. Festus Iyayi, describing him as one of its strongest associates and allies.
Iyayi died in a motor accident on Tuesday on his way to Kano to attend a meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
In a statement signed by PRONOCO’s spokesperson, Mr Wale Okuniyi in Lagos, the group said Iyayi’s death was a loss to the entire nation.
“Iyayi’s exit at this crucial time, when the nation is desperately searching for national consensus and political cohesion through the initiative of a people driven national conference is unfortunate and a great loss to the peoples of Nigeria.
“Iyayi was one of the very few scholars and advocates who possess profound understanding of the Nigerian National Question,’’ it said.
PRONACO said that Iyayi would be remembered for his various interventions toward the autonomy and freedom of the indigenous peoples and nationalities for genuine federalism in Nigeria.
“His struggles for academic freedom and university autonomy in Nigeria, which he pioneered in the 90s with others, will also continue to resonate among the masses and youths of our country,’’ the organisation said.
It noted that Iyayi’s demise had left a vacuum that would be hard to fill in both the revolutionary and democratic circles, where he was a leading voice.
“The ongoing process for the Peoples National Conference will definitely miss the ingenious interventions and contributions of Festus Iyayi in bringing about the peoples’ constitution for Nigeria,’’ the group said.
PRONACO spoke just as Prof. Wale Omole, a former Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile-Ife, described late Iyayi as a selfless unionist.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that Iyayi fought for the cause of the masses.
Omole said that the former ASUU president was a man of struggle and had lost his life in the course of resolving the ongoing crisis in the universities.
He appealed to both the Federal Government and striking unions to end the strikes to avoid further losses.
“For the interest of the country, there should be an immediate and permanent solution to the ongoing strike by the academic staff unions of Universities and Polytechnics.
“There should be amicable and peaceful resolution of the issues for the love of the selfless man of struggle, who lived and died for it,’’ he said.
