Years After, Cross River Govt Promises Befitting Burial For Joseph Wayas

By Ayodele Oni

After years of national embarrassment, the Cross River Government has intensified preparations to ensure s befitting burial for the former Senate President, Joseph Wayas come November 30.

To this end, the State Government has urged contractors handling various projects towards his burial at his Sankwala hometown to intensify efforts at completing them.

The State Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Odey, stated this on Monday during an inspection of the ongoing work at the mausoleum where the former Senate President will be buried.

Odey, who was accompanied by members of the burial committee, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done so far.

The Deputy Governor said that the visit was aimed at assessing the progress and quality of work at Wayas’s Sankwala residence, including the tomb, access roads, and other related projects.

Similarly, the team inspected the Donald Duke Airstrip at Bebi, where the remains of the late Senate President as well as guests coming to Obanliku by air will be landing.

Wayas, who served as Senate President from October 1, 1979 to December 31, 1983, died on November 30, 2021, at a London hospital after a protracted ailment.

On July 10, 2024, his remains arrived in Nigeria after several controversies that followed the repatriation of his corpse.

Earlier, Dr Dorn-Cklaimz Enamhe, secretary of the central planning committee for Wayas’ burial, had during a press briefing, commended Gov. Sen. Bassey Otu and other individuals for making the repatriation of Waya’s body a reality.

Enamhe noted that the committee, in collaboration with other authorities in Nigeria and the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom (UK), worked together to ascertain the authenticity of the body.

He, also, appreciated the Media for constantly reminding the nation that the body of the former senate president was yet to be buried.

“Unfortunately, the body has been kept this long due to issues and disagreement among members of his family.

“We had to wait for these issues to be resolved, and as of today, they have been resolved; that is why we are going ahead with the burial.”