A lecturer in
the Creative Arts Department of the University of Lagos, Chief E.A Bassey, died
on Saturday evening while watching the finals of the 2012 European Championship
between Chelsea and Bayern Munich in his house in Lagos.
His
death came one week after the university lost its Vice-Chancellor, Prof.
Tokunbo Sofoluwe, who died of cardiac arrest on May 12.
Though
university source said he died of heart-related ailment, a source in the
department who pleaded anonymity, said he died while watching the football
finals which Chelsea won 4-3 on penalties.
“He
started watching the match in his departmental office but later, he left the
office for his quarters on campus where he continued watching the
tension-soaked match. During the match, he complained of heat from within and
asked that the fan be directed at him.
“Those
who were watching the match with him did, but later, he said he wanted to go to
the toilet and it was in the process of going to the toilet that he slumped and
later died,” the source said.
Though
efforts to get the comment of the Deputy Registrar, Information and Protocol,
Mr. Dare Seth, failed, a senior member of staff in the Information Unit of the
institution, who pleaded not to be named because he was not authorised to speak
to the press, confirmed Bassey’s death.
“Yes,
it is true that Chief Bassey is dead,” he said.
Asked
whether the deceased was a fan of any of the two clubs, the source said he did
not know. “But what I know is that he started watching the match in his office before
he left for his official quarters where he was said to have slumped,” the
source said.
A
student of the institution, Mr. Tosin Adesile, expressed shock at the death of
the lecturer, wondering why another lecturer should die a week after the demise
of Sofoluwe.
Also,
a student in the Faculty of Arts, Funto Haastrup, while paying tribute to
Bassey, said the multi-talented lecturer would be sorely missed by the
university.
“He
will be sorely missed. We will miss his creative ability,” he said.
His
death threw the institution into a fresh round of mourning, as it was still
making arrangements to bury the late VC on May 30.