Iyayi's Family Condemns N50b Demand From Kogi Government

                     
Relations and sympathisers console Mrs. Grace Iyayi, the widow of former president of ASUU, Late Prof. Festus Iyayi, at Ekosodin in Benin City
Benin City, Edo state – The family of the late former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Festus Iyayi, have disawoved themselves from the N50 billion demand made by the Kogi State government over Iyayi's death. Members of the family said no amount of money can compensate for the loss.
It will be recalled that the Onojie of Ugbegun, the hometown of the late Prof Iyayi, had demanded the sum of N50bilion as compensation for his death.
However, Prof. Robert Ebewale, a cousin to the deceased, disclosed it was embarrassing to try to equate the life of Prof Iyayi with money.

"No amount of money can be compared with the life of that calibre of person, so we want to disassociate our family with that. It is embarrassing to us," he stated.
Meanwhile, the Coalition to Save Nigeria (CSN) has appealed to the striking ASUU members to call off the strike action as a mark of respect for Prof. Iyayi.
"With his death, the Nigerian revolutionary movement has been decapitated as Prof. Iyayi was one of the movement’s brain boxes in the struggle for a better Nigeria where equity, fairness and justice will reign. We have lost a committed comrade and an icon of the struggle for an egalitarian Nigeria.
"He was a true and authentic comrade who devoted his entire life to the struggle and died fighting for educational justice for the present and future generations of Nigerian students," their statement read.
"We call on ASUU and the federal government to speedily resolve the remaining grey areas in their disagreement to enable the suspension of the current ASUU strike as a mark of respect to Prof. Iyayi."