The death of Professor Festus Iyayi in a motor accident on Lokoja-Abuja Road, Tuesday, has been described as a tragedy of monumental proportion through the recklessness and impunity of a member of the ruling class.
Speaking to our corespondent, yesterday, Mr. Lucky Akaruese of the Department of Philosophy, University of Port Harcourt, lamented the death of Iyayi, whom he described as a comrade, colleague and a brother, who hated impunity with vigour.
“It is an irony of fate that Iyayi, who was one of the champions of the struggles that finally pushed the military from political power was painfully killed by one of the inheritors of the fruits of Iyayi’s struggle,” Akaruese said.
He condemned what he described as the tissues of lies and deriding statements emanating from the Government of Kogi State, which according to him, manifestly demonstrated the degree of callousness and impunity.
He called on relevant agencies, particularly the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police, to make available to the public, the number of casualties, particularly deaths, so far recorded as a result of reckless driving by vehicular convoys of public officers.
“If this is honestly done, it will be seen that within this short space of democratic experience, the number of deaths so far recorded would have far exceeded the number in similar circumstances throughout the military era.”
