Senate to Fully Participate in Joseph Wayas’ Burial – Akpabio

Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has confirmed that the 10th Senate will be actively involved in the burial of former Senate President, Dr. Joseph Wayas.

Akpabio made this statement during a courtesy visit by a Cross River State delegation, led by former Justice Minister Chief Kanu Agabi, who came to formally invite the Senate to participate in the burial.

“We will be very delighted, as the 10th Senate, to be part of it,” Akpabio said. “We have planned to be involved in all the ceremonies. We are even organizing a valedictory session in honor of Dr. Wayas on November 28, 2024, followed by the Night of Tributes in Calabar. We want to fully participate and show respect to the late Senate President and the institution of the National Assembly.”

Akpabio praised Wayas, Nigeria’s first Senate President from the South-South region, calling him a trailblazer, a man of style and candor, and a charismatic leader.

Earlier, Chief Kanu Agabi appealed to the Federal Government to take over the burial arrangements for Wayas, given the state government’s challenges in organizing the event. “Let the government bury Joseph Wayas,” Agabi said. “The state government has struggled with it, and the Federal Government should step in.”

Agabi also expressed concern over the delays in Wayas’ burial, which has led some to believe that it appeared as though he had died multiple times.

Reflecting on historical figures, Agabi noted that it often takes time for great men, such as Jamaican artist Marcus Garvey and former President Mobutu Sese Seko, to be properly honored after their passing. “It has taken some time with Wayas, and it is beginning to look embarrassing, but this is the way of great men,” Agabi added.

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