Joseph Wayas
| Joseph Wayas | |
|---|---|
| President of the Nigerian Senate | |
|
In office 1979–1983 |
|
| Preceded by | Military regime, then Nnamdi Azikiwe |
| Succeeded by | Military regime, then Iyorchia Ayu |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
21 May 1941 Obudu, Cross River State, Nigeria |
Joseph Wayas (born 21 May 1941) served as Nigeria's third Senate President during the Nigerian Second Republic (1979–1983).
Wayas was born in Basang, Obudu, Cross River State on 21 May 1941 and 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. Returning to Nigeria, he worked as a manager or controller from 1960-1969 for several companies in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Wayas is a member of the Society of International Affairs at the Lincoln University, United States.
Wayas joined the Federal Government in 1969-72. He was commissioner for Transport, South-Eastern State, now broken into Akwa Ibom and Cross River states from 1972-74. He was a member of the constituent Assembly in 1977-78.
When General Olusegun Obasanjo terminated military rule in 1979, Joseph Wayas was elected to the Senate on the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) platform and appointed Senate President. Wayas had an excellent relationship with president Shehu Shagari, ensuring that bills were generally discussed and agreed before being introduced. Wayas used to play tennis with the US ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Thomas R. Pickering, afterwards taking Pickering to the State House at Ribadu Road to visit with President Shagari, a breach of protocol.
Under Wayas's leadership the Senate summoned Tony Momoh, editor of the Daily Times, for contempt. This caused a major legal battle in which Momoh successfully argued that as a journalist he was empowered by the constitution to hold government accountable at all times.
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