Priest Booed By ASUU Members in Iyayi’s Burial for Urging Union to Call Off Strike

Remember the information we shared here about Late Iyai’s burial, right? well, the University of Benin yesterday stood still in honour of the former President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Late Prof. Festus Iyayi as it declared the Late Don irreplaceable.

The main reason why ASUU members booed the priest, is when one of the officiating Priests at the lying- in state ceremony held at the Akindeko Main Auditorium in honour of the former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Festus Iyayi drew the ire of a cross-section of members of the academic community, civil society organizations when in his homily, he appealed to ASUU to suspend their six months old strike.

Also in attendant, is the current ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, who revealed that Iyayi’s death came as a rude shock to the academic union with no one having a premonition of the sudden death.

Quoting him in his words, “With a heavy heart, I read this tribute. The death of our Comrade came to us as a rude shock because we had no premonition of it. He was full of life, having just partaken in a congress the day before.
One of the officiating Priests at the lying- in state ceremony held at the Akin Deko Main Auditorium in honour of the former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Festus Iyayi drew the ire of a cross-section of members of the academic community, civil society organizations when in his homily, he appealed to ASUU to suspend their six months old strike.

Rev. Fr. Andrew Obiyan, who was booed during the homily ceremony, which was attended by a large number of people said many of the lecturers were already wary of the “fight.”

Reading from portions of the Bible, Obiyan praised Iyayi’s tenacity of purpose, courage and sense of dedication to duty, all of which he said contributed to the “hero” he became, both in life and in death and appealed to ASUU members to consider their position in order not to continue at the receiving end.

He said, “The death of the faithful is precious in the eyes of God, so I want to admonish the family not to think of the pain of death, but think about the bright promise of immortality.

May God comfort the family of the late Professor Iyayi.