ASUU, call off strike to honour late Professor Iyayi

THE death of a former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Festus Iyayi, is so painful. His loss is unquantifiable to the academic community in the country. Professor Iyayi met his untimely death on the Lokoja-Abuja way while he was going to deliberate with other members of ASUU on how to find a lasting solution to the ongoing strike. In response to the painful death, the ASUU leadership has announced an indefinite suspension of its NEC meeting which would have taken a decision on whether or not to call off the strike. My letter is, therefore, addressed to the leadership of ASUU. The easiest way to honour the late Professor Iyayi is to call off the strike without further delay. The ongoing strike had claimed some lives, including Iyayi’s last week. Some students who were on their way home after the strike were announced were also involved in road accidents, which claimed their lives, while some suffered various degrees of injuries. I also read it in the newspapers recently that some university students were arrested for robbery in Lagos and they laid the blame on the fact that they were doing nothing at home and were lured into armed robbery to keep themselves busy. We should not wait until we witness more havocs before the strike is called off since nobody knows what’s lurking in the corner again. Professor Iyayi has done his best, although the manner of his death is so painful and tragic. I, however, believe he would want an end to the strike as soon as possible. As a result, I hope members of ASUU will call for the NEC meeting and agree to suspend the strike so that the innocent students will not continue to suffer in vain. Nelson Ekwale, University of Benin, Edo State.