… Senator Jarigbe, Hon Akpanke, Papa Enamhe, family members deposit corpse at National Hospital
Exactly two years and nine months after his passing the remains of Late Senate President, Dr Joseph Wayas, has arrived Nigeria for onward burial.
This is just as Senator Jarigbe Agom, Senator representing Cross River North, Hon Peter Akpanke member of House of Representatives representing Obanliku Bekwarra Obodu Federal Constituency and the family of the late former two times Senate President, were full of praises for Governor Bassey Otu for his spirited efforts.
They also commended the efforts of the Convener of the Who is Who Forum of Cross River North, Papa Dorn Cklaimz Enamhe and his Co-convener Mr Johnny Agim SAN in mobilizing Cross Riverians and Nigerians to ensure the successful return of the remains of the former Nigeria Acting President.
Recall that Wayas, who held sway as Nigeria’s Senate President between October 1,1979 and December 31,1983, died in a London hospital on November 30,2021, at the age of 80.
The ex-Senate President’s wife died 12 days after. While his wife had since been buried, the revered politician’s remains had remained in a morgue in London, a development that had sparked controversies.
Some persons who had concluded that the late octogenarian’s body had since been secretly interred in London, were surprised to see the remains back 33 months after.
His body was received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, at 4:30am, Wednesday morning, by his wife Mrs Isiaka Wayas, other family members, friends and some prominent sons and daughters of Cross River North Senatorial District, among who were Senator Jarigbe Agom, Senator William Eteng-Jones, Hon. Peter Akpanke , Johnny Agom, SAN, and Papa Dorn Cklaimz Enamhe.
The corpse was accompanied from London back to Nigeria by his eldest daughter, Ms Donna Wayas with the co-convener of the Who is Who Forum of Cross River North, Mr Johnny Agim, Auntie Echiko Odey and Chief John Okom.
At the time of filing this report, the body which was driven straight from the airport to the National Hospital, Abuja, had been deposited at the hospital’s mogue.
Speaking variously to journalist, after the body was received, Senator Jarigbe Agom, representing Cross River North and Hon Peter Akpanke, representing Obudu, Bekwara Obanlikwu Federal Constituency, at the National Assembly, expressed happiness that the body had finally been brought home.
Also, his late wife’s family, though grieving, expressed relief at the development and appreciated all those who had facilitated the return of his remains.
Senator Agom, Hon Akpanke, and Rt Hon Mike Etaba were the first caller at the residence of the late former Nigeria Senate President to sympathise with the family. They also signed the condolence register in honour of Chief Wayas.
Recall that when the politician and his wife died, the then governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade’s government immediately set up a committee headed by former Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi, to oversee the burial activities.
To facilitate the committee’s work, Ayade was said to have approved and immediately released N200 million to the committee with a promise to release another tranche of N50 million.
It was gathered that the committee released N100 million to a sub-committee vested with the task of repatriating the remains of Wayas and his wife and headed by the former Director General, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Dave Ashang to liaise with the family to achieve the purpose.
However, all these efforts were fruitless, thus compelling some sons and daughters of Cross River North Senatorial district to set up a volunteer group under the aegis of “Who is Who in Northern Cross River” to take up the task of ensuring not only the return of his remains but also according it a befitting burial.
Wednesday’s arrival of the body was the handwork of the volunteer group which had coordinated donations from concerned indigenes of the zone.
