The remains of late Senator Joseph Wayas who was President of Nigeria’s Senate in the second Republic (1979-1983) has reportedly been abandoned in a London hospital.
Wayas died in December 2021 at a London hospital, following a lingering illness, which some family members attributed to poverty.
Family sources said that financial help was no longer coming and they on their own could barely cope maintaining the body.
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River, where the deceased hailed from, had inaugurated an expanded funeral committee in December 2021.
This was after the state government had mandated the then commissioner for health, Dr Betta Edu to oversee his health management in London.
The state government was said to have released some funds to the funeral committee headed by two-time Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi.
But 14 months after his death, findings show that the body of Nigeria’s former number three citizen had been neglected over funds controversy.
Findings also revealed that there the controversy surrounding the funeral funds led to resignation of key members of the committee.
One of the key members of the funeral committee, former executive secretary of 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 governor made funds available to prosecute the funeral but said the first son of the deceased, Mr Joseph Wayas jr, should be in a better position to explain why the body of his late father had not been interred.