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Yet to be buried 14 months after
The remains of the late Senator Joseph Wayas who was the president of Nigeria’s Senate in the Second Republic, from 1979 to 1983, may have been abandoned in a London hospital.
Wayas died in December 2021 at 80 in a London hospital following a lingering illness, which the family described as poverty.
Family sources said financial help was no longer coming to attend to the body and they could barely cope.
The Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, had inaugurated an expanded funeral committee in December 2021, which was headed by a two-time Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi.
This was after the state government had mandated the then commissioner for health, Dr Betta Edu, to oversee his health management in London when his condition got out of control.
It was confirmed that the state government released some funds to the funeral committee to plan when he eventually died.
But 14 months after his death, findings now show that the body of Nigeria’s former number three citizen has been neglected by both the state and federal governments as funds towards management of the corpse are said to be under controversy.
Findings have also revealed that there are controversies surrounding the funeral funds, which allegedly led to resignations of key members of the committee.
It was learnt that it may be one of the reasons the state funeral for the former Senate president cannot take place now.
One of the key members of the funeral committee, a former executive secretary of the National Planning Commission and one-time governorship hopeful, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, confirmed that he had since left the committee but did not give reasons.
He also confirmed that the state governor had made fund available to prosecute the funeral but that the first son of the deceased, Mr Joseph Wayas (junior) should be in a better position to do much explanation on why the body of his late father cannot be interred.
“He cannot say he does not have an explanation to give on why the funeral is delayed. He is the first son, so he should be in charge,” Ugbo reacted when told that the son referred to the committee.
Wayas told Daily Trust on Sunday that the funeral committee was saddled with the task to handle the funeral and he had little to do.
He commended Governor Ayade for the support he gave to the committee, but expressed concerns that 14 months after, they were unable to bury his dad.
“The funeral is not exactly in our hands but that of the funeral committee. I hear there are issues surrounding the funeral fund. And some members are said to have resigned. I cannot go back to the state governor or federal government now due to election issues. The governor has done well already,” he said.
In an earlier interview, Wayas regretted the delay in carrying out the burial of his father, but appealed that the body be given its last respect soon.
He thanked President Muhamudu Buhari, who had facilitated his father’s trip to London when he first took ill to have access to the best medical care, but the resources he gave exhausted within three months.
He said that before his father died, it was his sister in London who bore the cost of his treatment and had been maintaining the corpse since 2021.
Commenting, the permanent secretary in the state Ministry of Health, Dr Iwara Iwara said, “As it is well known, the state governor empanelled a committee. As a person, I haven’t heard anything further. I cannot be able to give reasons why the burial is delayed.”
When contacted, the chief media adviser to the governor, Christian Ita, a lawyer, said, “I don’t want to get involved in the matter. Perhaps the first son is the problem, but speak to members of the funeral committee. The governor actually released money for the burial months ago.”
The commissioner for information, Eric Anderson, did not respond to text messages nor pick calls to his mobile phone number.
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