Former Senate President Joseph Wayas’ remains arrive in Nigeria for burial, nearly three years after his death in London, surprising many who believed he had been buried abroad.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the remains of the late former Senate President Joseph Wayas have arrived in Nigeria for burial, exactly two years and nine months after his death. Wayas, who served as Senate President from October 1, 1979, to December 31, 1983, passed away in a London hospital on November 30, 2021, at the age of 80.
His wife passed away 12 days later and was subsequently buried, but Wayas’s remains remained in a morgue in London, causing speculation and reactions. Some believed that his body had been secretly interred in London, making the return of his remains 33 months later surprising to many.
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His body was received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning by family, friends, and prominent figures from Cross River North Senatorial District, including Senator Jarigbe Agom, Hon. Peter Akpanke, Johnny Agom, SAN, and Dr. Dom Cklaimz Enamhe.
As of this report, the body has been taken directly from the airport to the National Hospital in Abuja and deposited in the hospital’s morgue.
Speaking to newsmen, 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.
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.
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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.
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