Cross River on course with Wayas’ burial plans, dismisses abandonment claim

The Cross River Government has dismissed the allegation by an All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart and social critic, Goddie Goddie Akpama, that the current administration in the state had “abandoned the remains of the late Senate President Joseph Wayas” since last November when he passed on in London, United Kingdom.

The Deputy Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Linus Obogo, described Akpama’s allegations as “impishly intended to stoke up needless public sentiment against the person of His Excellency, Sir Ben Ayade. While it is still difficult to understand the object of Akpama’s gibberish, it is worth stating that as always, his rants are often actuated by what those close to him describe as his usual “anywhere belle face.”

He continued: “It is pertinent to state here that contrary to Apkama’s unfounded claims that the governor has done nothing to accord the late former Senate President a befitting burial, indeed, Governor Ayade had done everything humanly and institutionally necessary to ensure Wayas had a well-deserved state and national burial befitting of his status as former Senate President. 

“It is worth noting that sometime in February, two months after Wayas’ passing, His Excellency constituted a six-man burial committee headed by the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Godwin Kanu Agabi, SAN and former Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission and also Wayas’ close family member, Chief Fidelis Ugboh, as Chairman and Secretary respectively. Shortly after the constitution of the burial committee, the State Executive Council met and approved a budget for Wayas’ burial.”

Akpama had accused the Governor Ben Ayade-led administration of “dancing on the corpse of Dr. Joseph Wayas.”