Remains of late Joe Wayas, Nigeria’s fmr. Senate President near for burial

Against the backdrop of protracted efforts by some high-profile individuals in Northern Cross River State to unravel the cause of delay in the repatriation and burial of their elder statesman, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Dr. Joseph Wayas GCON, former Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who died in a London hospital on November 2021, plans have now reached advanced stage for his funeral.

This messaging was made known by the Chairman, Burial Fact Finding Committee, Hon. Justice Maurice Odey Eneji, Ex-acting Chief Judge of Cross River State and retired President of Customary Court of Appeal in Cross River State while fielding questions from newsmen in Calabar on Monday, March 4, 2024.

It would be recalled that members of the UK-Sub-Committee of the Burial Fact Finding Committee had issues with Ms. Donna Wayas in London over sighting the corpse of late Dr. Joseph Wayas in the London morgue. Donna was alleged to have demanded payment of £6,710.00 and £67,188,00 from members of the committee and this displeased Johny Agim, SAN, leader and co-chairman of the Sub-Committee.

However, after payment of about N13m through Ms. Donna Wayas and Mr. Joe Wayas Jnr. Being money for morgue manager fee for two years as well as cost for his accommodation, medical bills for treatment before his passage, and additionally, incidental charges after his death, the central burial planning committee headed by Chief Senator Kanu Agabi, SAN, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation in league with the family burial committee headed by Chief David Ashang, former Secretary to Cross River State Government, resolved to repatriate the remains of late Dr. Joseph Wayas to Nigeria for burial in a time and date yet to be announced by the family with oversight from the Federal and Cross River State Governments.

By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)