Joseph Wayas, Nigeria’s Ex-Senate President is dead

Senator Joseph Wayas, the Second republic Senate President in Nigeria has died in a London Hospital at the age of 80.

Wayas was Nigeria’s Senate President between 1979 and 1983.

Born in Basang, Obudu, Cross River State on 21 May 1941, Wayas attended the Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha. He went to the United Kingdom where he studied at the Higher Tottenham Technical College, London, the West Bronwich College of Commerce, Science and Technology, Birmingham and Aston University, Birmingham.

He returned to Nigeria after his studies and worked as a manager or controller from 1960-1969 for several companies in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

Until his death, he was a member of the Society of International Affairs at the Lincoln University, United States.

Late Wayas joined the Federal Government in 1969-72 as the commissioner for Transport, South-Eastern State, now broken into Akwa Ibom and Cross River states from 1972-74, and was a member of the constituent Assembly in 1977-78.

Appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the South-South Peoples Assembly (SSPA), In January 2009, Wayas described post-election petitions to electoral tribunals as senseless, reckless and time wasting.

In January 2010, Wayas advocated that Vice President Goodluck Jonathan be authorized to act as President pending the return of President Umaru Yar’Adua, who had been incapacitated by illness for some time.