…Igbo Mandate Congress Seeks FG Intervention
The Governorship aspirant of the Allied Peoples Movement in Ebonyi State and former Personal Assistant to Second Republic Senate President, Joseph Wayas, has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari gave the family of the deceased and abandoned former Senate President $150,000dollars for medical treatment in Canada.
This was contained in an information and explanation obtained by the Leadership of Igbo Mandate Congress IMC in Abakaliki on Wednesday. It has been reported in the media recently that the corpse of the former Senate President was abandoned in London since his demise two years ago. The family had claimed they had no money to convey the corpse of the elder statesman to Nigeria for proper burial.
Igbo Mandate Congress and close political associates and extended family members had sought clarifications from the former Personal Assistant on the State of Affairs and circumstances surrounding the death of Joseph Wayas.
In his revelation Rev Gold Paschal said that Buhari gave the family $150,000 dollars to fly the elder statesman to Canada for medical treatment but the money was handed to Jowie ie Joseph Junior who arranged for the travels to UK instead of Canada as approved and agreed, and since then, the former senate president was kept incommunicado from close associates till his death.
According to Rev Nwaigwe, “ During the 70th Birthday of My Oga, Joseph Wayas, He called His Chief of Staff, Paul Evey, and instructed him to write my appointment letter as the Personal Assistant. Later he sent me on many errands of confidentiality for him. Recall that Wayas took me to so many political meetings during the tenure of Goodluck Jonathan, and equally represented him in certain places.
‘My Oga sent me to Governor ADAMS Oshiomhole in the company of his Aid-De-Camp, Inspector Abdullahi from Nasarrawa State. He told Oshiomhole that his Personal Assistant was coming with his ADC. We travelled to Edo, met Governor Oshiomhole after discussions, the Edo State governor asked us to see his Chief of Staff, who released the sum of three million naira. I signed the receipt register myself and we left for Abuja.
“When Wayas sickness was increasing, I met with Dr Bosse, his physician at the National Hospital, Abuja, and she obtained his medical records, which we followed up. Ndoma Egba as Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC came to the rescue and released N9 million naira or so for Wayas to be treated. Some family members seized the money and Wayas health did not improve”
Rev Nwaigwe continued further
“ My Oga was a firm believer in Goodluck Jonathan and did not support the Buhari government. He constantly claimed that Buhari overthrew Shagari, Ekwueme and himself in 1984. Wayas told me that during Abacha regime, he met Buhari in the Villa and when the former stretched his had to shake him, my Oga refused to return the handshake, and Buhari went away.
‘Coincidentally when Buhari became President, Wayas refused to associate with him. Efforts by some of his confidants , including Rev Obinna Akukwe, Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress, Apostle Dr PCJ Macjossy, leader of GAAAICOM and others for him to get close to Buhari for the purpose of inclusive development of the South East and South South failed.
“Through inclusive efforts, including that of Ijeoma, former Secretary, who now works with the Ministry of Science and Technology, Paul, his Chief of Staff, and officials of the Department of State Service DSS, a meeting was scheduled between Buhari and Wayas in Aso Rock. It turned out to be a reconciliation meeting. Wayas gave me details of the meeting, which is not for public consumption. However, he came back with N1 million naira.
“Later we followed up on the contact and through the help of former Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, and Boss Mustafa, and backed by the medical records from his doctor, Buhari approved $150,000 dollars for Wayas to be flown abroad for medical treatment”
Nwaigwe claimed that Wayas children changed the destination of the medical treatment to UK. They told us that they will take him to UK for brief rest and later move to Canada for the treatment, Since 2019 till date Wayas never let UK till his death. He claimed that at some point they pressurized his doctor Bosse to travel to UK and see Wayas, and ascertain why he is not picking any of his two numbers. His children are permanently with the phones and whether he needs a new line. When Dr Bosse travelled to UK and came back, she confirmed to authorities that Wayas was not taken to any hospital.
Nwaigwe claimed that they followed up with other political associates who confirmed that Wayas was in a solitary apartment in a place off Heathrow Airport and appears not to be happy with anybody.
Nwaigwe claimed that he contacted Senator Ndoma Egba who then was Presidential Liison Officer to National Assembly and Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, then Minister of Science and Technology and pleaded with them to inform Buhari and the UK Embassy that a former Senate President in Nigeria is in solitary confinement, incommunicado, and should be rescued back to Nigeria.
Rev Nwaigwe asked President Buhari to assist the family once more to bury the elder statesman. Rev Paschal Gold Nwaigwe is a two time governorship candidate in Ebonyi State in 2019 and 2023. He is currently contesting again in 2023 under Allied Peoples Movement APM
The Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress IMC Rev Obinna Akukwe has described the abandonment of Wayas corpse as abomination. He said that Wayas is a top Security Intelligence Officer who served Nigeria selflessly. He thanked President Buhari for responding to save the life of the elder statesman by releasing $150,000 dollars. He asked him to constitute a proper state burial for Wayas.
According to Akukwe “We ask President Buhari to ensure that Wayas is given proper burial. Wayas was a bastion of peace. What happened with the burial of Chukwuma Azikiwe should not happen again. During Chukwuma Azikiwe’s burial, Ex- Governor Willie Obiano connived with Onitsha Chieftains, intimidated Senator Chris Ngige and Chief Mrs Sharon Ikeazor to ensure that Buhari did not attend the burial of his close friends.
“I was in the Seven Man Burial Committee with Ngige as leader, but Obiano, APGA Chieftains ganged up Obi of Onitsha and other Onitsha Chiefs to ensure that Buhari does not visit Onitsha. Governor Obiano harassed George Ossi Permanent Secretary from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development whom Buhari sent to renovate Ziks House and Mausoleum in preparation for his burial. They threw up all manners of sentiments aimed at punishing Chukwuma over his friendship with Buhari when, according to their strange theory, Chukwuma is hobnobbing with Jihadists who want to Islamize South East. At the end, the two sons of Chukwuma Azikiwe, Chinwe and Ikechukwu, went back to UK and Haiti disappointed.”
