The Vice Chancellor of Kwara State University, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Allah and a Senior lecturer in University of Ilorin, Dr Ibrahim Jawondo yesterday paid glowing tributes to the former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) UNILORIN Chapter, Dr Saad Yusuf Omoiya who died last Thursday.

Omoiya who was a lecturer in the Department of History and International Studies died at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) after a brief illness.

Speaking with National Pilot reporter on Sunday after his fidau at Alanamu Compound in Ilorin, Na’Allah described the deceased as a role model.

He said: “Dr. Omoiya is our brother. We grew up looking to him as a role model to us. His death is a big loss to us, given the fact that he will always leave nothing on his mind but to speak the truth.

“He is so dedicated to work as a historical scholar and he was known for expressing the truth whether you agree with him or not.

“His death is a big loss to us and his family, may Allah protect his family and not allow them suffer.”

On his part, Jawondo described his death as unfortunate.

“He was an administrator in Kwara State. He has worked in different ministries, departments and agencies, one of such was the fact that he worked at the Aviation sector and from there he crossed to university of Ilorin.

“Today, he died as an academic, a senior lecturer in the Department of History and of course his social creativity is what everybody knows in the media. He’s very straight forward and honest, one other thing you don’t know about him is that when you see Omoiya fighting, he might not be fighting for his own cause. He fought for the masses and that’s the kind of person he was.

He’s a product of University of Ilorin and during his academic endeavours he also went to University of Ibadan.

“What everybody is saying about him is that he has touched many lives both in the academic sphere and the society at large, you can see the large number of people that came here.”

Also speaking with our reporter, the deceased’s first son, Taofiq, who described his father’s death as shocking, noted that what he (the deceased)  detested most is cheating.

“It’s so sad!  I see my dad as an icon. He was always straightforward and realistic. He always expressed his mind about the truth nanything without fear of reaction.

“He was an activist who fought for human rights and did not like cheating.

“My last moment with him was more of discussion about life. My dad has been at UITH for about three weeks and I always put my mat beside his bed to sleep with him every night, taking care of him.

“He was getting better in the last week and walking by himself to the bathroom and other places.

“We are already missing his fatherly advice and love in the family and his activism. Insha Allah, I’ll emulate his fair-mindedness. I miss you Dad, RIP till we meet to part no more!”

The deceased’s wife, Mrs. Maridiyah described him as loving and hardworking.

The tearful wife added that her husband had a unique character of fighting for other peoples’ cause.