Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State in Nigeria’s north-central, has come under fire following the death, yesterday, of eminent scholar, writer and activist, Prof. Festus Iyayi, in a road accident involving his convoy.

Iyayi, 66 years old Iyayi, died around 11am in an accident at Banda village, about three kilometres to the Kogi State capital Lokoja, while heading for Kano for the National Executive Council Meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has now been postponed in his honour.

A cross section of Nigerians at home and abroad have taken to social media to castigate Gov. Wada, who has a history of accidents involving his convoy, with some even calling for his arrest and prosecution. The comments below give an idea of how angry Nigerians are over the needless wasting of Prof. Iyayi’s life.

Princess Judith Omolara Desalu-Ogunmuyiwa, Founder and CEO at Solutions To Poverty Organization: What happened today was unjust and uncalled for. It was an act of evil that should not be condoned and accepted as normal in a democratic society.

We will not fold our hands to watch those that are supposed to protect us continue to premeditate crime against us without justice.

We hereby demand Governor Idris Wada to take responsibility for his action and to be arrested, removed from his position and charged for the murder of Prof Festus Iyayi immediately.

Wale Adedayo: I do not believe the Kogi State Governor should be spared. It is not the first or second time such an accident will happen. This IMPUNITY must stop!

Onwuasoanya Fcc Jones: When Captain Idris Wada was running for the governorship seat which he now occupies, serious issues were raised about the state of his mental health. Not a few people dismissed that as one of those political propaganda aimed at diminishing the Captain’s popularity among his supporters.

But, for a man whose convoy has been involved in three crashes, resulting in deaths, it has become imperative that the man is compelled to subject himself to psychiatric attention.

The death of a Comrade and literary icon as valued as Professor Festus Iyayi cannot be swept under the carpet. Idris Wada must be committed to psychiatric care, else the spirit of this great warrior will haunt the homes and interests of the members of the Kogi State House of Assembly, whose duty it is to make such demand of the Governor.

Prof. Pius Adesanmi: So, it’s Idris Wada’s convoy again? Sometimes Nigeria farts in your mouth and asks you to wash it down with two teaspoonfuls of salt. Fart and salt get trapped in your throat. Truly, sometimes, Nigeria defeats you and ain’t jack you can do about it. Not even the near loss of his own life in accident could make this Governor wake up and control his reckless convoys. Numerous are the tales of near misses and narrow escapes whenever this convoy prowls Kogi’s terrible roads (I’m not going to mention the road from Kabba-Isanlu-Egbe). A friend who lives in Kabba once told me that, for road users in Kogi state, “may you not travel when the road is famished”, is no longer an appropriate prayer, the proper prayer being: may your head not obey your feet in direction of Idris Wada’s convoy. Yet, you cannot complain too loudly about Wada and his convoy lest he abandons sedans and SUVs – due to your complaints – and starts to build a convoy of private jets (he’s a pilot) with the treasury of that impoverished backwater home state of mine. Complain about his convoy and be damned, don't complain about his convoy and be damned. I don’t like this acrid combination of fart and salt stuck in my throat one bit!

•Photo shows Gov. Idris Wada walking with the aid of crutches after anearlier accident involving his convoy.

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