Senator Gershom Bassey wants quick burial of Ex-Senate President, Wayas

The senator representing the Southern Senatorial district of Cross River State in the Upper Chambers of the National Assembly, Senator Gershom Bassey has called on the Cross River State government to kickstart preparations for the burial of the former senate president and prominent indigene of the state, late Senator Joseph Wayas.

Senator Bassey in a radio broadcast on Hit 95.9 FM in Calabar on Thursday April 13, said it is unfortunate that the remains of the elder statesman is still kept in the morgue at a London hospital for almost two years since his passing.

He further said that he is pushing for a bill to enact a law that would provide for free medical care and services for former principal officers of the National Assembly to avoid untoward situation of inability to pick medic bills which leads to the death of Senator Joe Wayas.

Meanwhile, kings-men of the former Senate President from Basang community in Obanliku local government area of Cross River State are suggesting a state burial at the national level and his immortalization for serving Nigeria meritoriously during his life time.

Wayas who was Nigeria’s President of the Senate from 1978-1983 died about 16 months ago in a London hospital, in the United Kingdom. Their call is coming a few days after the national assembly described the continues delay in the burial of Wayas as a national embarrassment.

The president of Basang community and Leader of the 8th Executive Council of Basang Development Association (BDA), a social-cultural organization, Hon. Anyawo Sylvanus in a statement made available to newsmen in Calabar appreciated the stance of the 9th National Assembly for demanding a state burial for the remains of the late Elder States-man Dr. Joseph Wayas as well as commended Senator Gershom Bassey, Senator (Prof.) Sandy Onor and Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe for taking the delay in Wayas’s burial to the National Assembly at the senate plenary on April 4th 2023.

They used the occasion to call for the building of a National Library in his Basang country home and renaming of the Federal College of Education Campus in Bebi to Wayas University of Agriculture and an educational foundation set up to be headed by his family and Basang community to immortalize Senator Dr. Joseph Wayas.

By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. reporter)