Body Of Ex-Senate President, Joseph Wayas Arrives Nigeria For Burial 

The remains of Nigeria’s Second Republic Senate President, Senator Dr. Joseph Wayas, have arrived Nigeria 33 months after his death in the United Kingdom.

The body of the elder statesman arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday morning, and was received by his family members; Cross River North Senator, Jarigbe Agom; Hon. Peter Akpanke; kinsmen, and other stakeholders.

It was learnt that the body was thereafter deposited at the morgue of the National Hospital, Abuja, after two years and nine months at a London morgue.

Senator Jarigbe, Hon. Akpanke and the family members of the late former two-time Senate President, were full of praises for Cross River State governor, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, for his spirited efforts in facilitating the transportation of Wayas’ remains to Nigeria.

It was recalled that Senator Wayas, who hailed from Cross River State, was Nigerian Senate President between 1979 and 1983.

Late Wayas was born on May 21, 1941. He died on November 30, 2021 in the United Kingdom following a protracted illness. Disagreements among members of his immediate family had delayed his burial rites since then. Two years and nine months later, his body was flown home from Heathrow Airport in London aboard a British Airways flight 083 and arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, Wednesday at about 4:40am.

Speaking to journalists on arrival of the body of the elder statesman, the Senator representing Cross River North, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, thanked the State Governor for facilitating the return of the body of the late former Senate President from London, adding that he was confident that the governor will give the elder statesman a befitting burial.

Jarigbe said: “We have come to receive the body of late Senate President, Joseph Wayas, who died two and half years ago, and we just succeeded in bringing the body back to the country through the efforts of the Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency, Prince Bassey Otu.

“We are going to prepare for the funeral, report back to the Governor, and the Governor is going to take it up from there because the late statesman is the responsibility of the government and he will be accorded a state burial.”

However, he said the issues that caused the delay for flying in the body of the late Senate President for all this while “have been sorted out finally.”