The Cross River State House of Assembly has called for the immortalization of the late High Chief Emmanuel Nsan, late Senator Joseph Wayas and late Ambassador Matthew Mbu, in recognition of their invaluable contributions to the development and growth of the State and the country.
The lawmakers recently paid glowing tributes to the departed statesmen during plenary, describing them as examplelary leaders whose legacies deserve permanent honour.
They specifically want the State Government to impress upon the National Museum to present their histories in galleries in Calabar, Enugu, Kaduna and Lagos locations.
The House also wants the State Government to name public infrastructure, such as roads, institutions and buildings after the departed statesmen and also officially unveil their histories to enable the public access their achievements and contributions.
The motion was sponsored by the Member representing Boki 1 State Constituency, Mr Bette Obi who argued that, “the late statesmen played major roles in the socio-economic and political growth of Cross River State and Nigeria at large, pointing out that “their contributions made Cross River one of the best States in Nigeria.”
He further stated that immortalizing their legacies through permanent exhibition at the National Museum, would support historical research, cultural education, intergenerational knowledge transfer, as well as enhance the internally generated revenue of the State.
Mr Obi recalled that the late Dr. Nsan was a former Minister of Works, as well as Health, whose contributions included the construction of the Federal Highway from Atimbo, Akpabuyo to Bakassi as well as the construction of Akpabuyo Bridge amongst many other achievements.
The legislator described the late Senator Wayas, who was the Senate President during Nigeria’s Second Republic, as being instrumental to the building of the foundation of Nigeria’s Parliamentary Democracy adding that he represented the country in global parliamentary associations.
He mentioned that, “Senator Wayas served as a Federal Commissioner for Transportation in South Eastern State, contributing to the expansion and development of the transportation sector in Nigeria.”
For Ambassador Matthew Mbu, the lawmaker applauded his immense contributions to nation building saying that “Ambassador, Dr Matthew Mbu, was Nigeria’s first High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nigeria’s first representative to the United States of America and representative in the United Nations. He was a key figure in the establishment of Nigeria diplomatic presence in Europe and founding member of National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, (NCNC) alongside, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Herbert Macaulay, amongst many other developmental legacies.”
In their separate contributions to the motion, both co-sponsors and other legislators unanimously supported the immortalization of the late statesmen noting that their contributions to the development of the State and nation could not be overemphasized.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Elvert Ayambem expressed happiness at the motion.
According to him, lasting honours should be bestowed upon the late statesmen for their unwavering dedication to the progress of the State and the country.
Source: Monday Mbah, FRCN, Calabar.
