By Simon Shango
As we entered the temporary Secretariat of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) at Lapal House Igbosere at Lagos Island on that day in 1978, my attention was drawn to this man. He was not tall but not too short with silvery hair, with a round and handsome face. He was well dressed in a western style suit and appeared very jovial as he shook hands with virtually everybody.
I asked my late uncle, Chief J.S Tarka whom I had accompanied to the secretariat who the man was. He drew me close to the man and introduced me to him. I now knew that he was Dr. Joseph Wayas. He further added that Joseph Wayas was the boss of the NPN in Cross River State. From that day I took a liking for the big man and anytime I had the opportunity to be in Lagos – as I was at that time the Benue State publicity secretary of the party – I visited him.
This warm relationship continued as he also played a key role in making me emerge as the National Publicity Secretary at the party’s national convention in Kano in 1980, after the death of my benefactor, J.S Tarka. The election was a tough one as I had contested against seven other formidable aspirants including the late former deputy senate president Senator Ibrahim Mantu and Alhaji Buba Galadima. This was so, particularly that I was not in good terms with my state governor Mr. Aper Aku back home in Benue State. I must say that my relationship with Senator Joseph Wayas, my mentor and former boss at the New Nigeria Newspapers Malam Adamu Ciroma and indeed the leadership of the party in the North contributed a great deal to my victory.
The senator Joseph Wayas I met about five years ago was a different man from the flamboyant and “the always happy” Wayas that I knew during the second republic. I saw a pious Joseph Wayas in Makurdi and in my house. He came to invite me to accompany him to the Church. I went together with him in company of Ambassador Dennis Ukume to the Assemblies of God Church where he received an award. After this, I visited him a number of times at his Asokoro residence in Abuja till he left for medical care overseas some two years ago.
It was therefore a great shock to me when I heard of the death of this great son of Cross River State and Nigeria last Thursday.
Senator Joe Wayas was a great man. In the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and in the Shehu Shagari’s government, he was the bridge that linked the South and North. He was friendly with the executive arm of government and presided over a harmonious National Assembly with other great legislators, including great men like Senator Joseph Tarka, Senate Leader Olusola Saraki farther of the president in the eight senate Senator Dr. Bukola Saraki, Senator Abraham Adesanya, Senator Ibrahim Kolo, Senator Mahmud Waziri, Senator Basil Okwu, Senator John Wash Pam, Senator Jaja Wachuku and Senator Sabo Bakin Zuwo who later became governor of Kano State.
He was at home with the executive arm of government and rubbed shoulder with ministers like Malam Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Umaru Dikko, Chief Richard Akinjide, Alhaji Bello Maitama Yusuf, Professor Iya Abubakar, Sylvester Ugoh who was a former central bank governor, the former A.B.U Vice Chancellor Professor Ishaya Audu, the former commonwealth Secreatry general Emeka Anyaoku and Dr. Wahab Dosumu, to mention just but a few.
Because he was one of the founders of the party, the national Secretariat was his home as he had no problem with national officers like the chairman Chief Augustus Adisa Akinloye, the national secretary Alhaji Uba Ahmed, the deputy national chairman North Shettima Ali Mongunu, the deputy national chairman South Chief Lulu Briggs, the national financial secretary Alhaji Bashir Tofa who later contested against Chief M.K.O Abiola in the annulled presidential election of June 12, 1993.
The National Assembly did not know the rancor that now exist over passing of bills whether they were budgets or any bills produced by the executive arm of government. Senate President Joe Wayas encouraged the regular meeting of national caucus of the ruling party where issues were amicably discussed before they were tabled before any chamber of the National Assembly.
He indeed was the life wire of the second republic and one wonders how it would have been run without him.
Senator Joe Wayas loved good live. He had friends all over the globe and whether he was in his residence on the Marina in Lagos or his country house near Obudu or his house in Calabar, people gathered and were lavishly entertained.
Out of government, Senator Joe Wayas lived a very simple life retiring completely to Christian matters. He worked tirelessly and devoted his time to matters regarding his Church Assemblies of God Church as its ambassador all over the world.
His Church will miss him, the Christian community will miss him, his surving political colleagues will miss him, the people of old Ogoja province and indeed the whole of Cross River State will miss him. Nigeria has lost an illustrious son and a great Nigerian patriot as well as a uniting force in the country.
May his soul rest in peace.
Simon Shango Writes from Abuja.
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