Son, Cross River govt disagree on Wayas’ delayed funeral

 

Former Senate President Dr. Joseph Wayas died of poverty and not illness, his eldest son, Joseph Wayas Jr, has said. 

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He said his father might have been alive today if he had access to proper medical care.

Speaking with The Nation in Abuja, Wayas Jr also rued the delay in conducting the funeral of his late father, who passed away at 80 in December 2021.

He expressed displeasure about the committee set up by the Cross River State Government to organise the funeral.

He, however, thanked Governor Ben Ayade for being responsive and decisive, following the announcement of the senior Wayas’ demise by setting up the committee and empowering it to plan the burial.

 But Wayas Jr said the committee members were more interested in what it could get for itself, rather than plan a proper and befitting burial for his father.

He regretted the delay in carrying out the burial of his father, saying there was no reason he should not be buried in the next 30 to 40 days.

He said despite being the representative of the family as the former lawmaker’s first son, the committee had sidelined him in all its affairs and deliberations concerning the burial.

The junior Wayas said in the last three years, before Wayas’ death, his sister in London bore the cost of his treatment and was still carrying the cost of maintaining the body since 2021.

Wayas Jr expressed the family’s gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, who facilitated his father’s trip to England and provided funds for him to have access to the best medical care.

However, he said the support provided by the Federal Government barely lasted four months before it washed its hands off the matter.

He said entreaties to the leadership of the National Assembly to support the former Senate President did not yield any fruit, as it refused to respond to the request.

This, he said, had plunged his sister and her children and grandchildren into debt to the extent that their payroll accounts had to be garnisheed.

He passed a vote of no confidence in the burial committee, saying it had failed in its mandate.