It is ten years down the memory lane. Yet tears are free gifts from God to enable us commune our inexplicable pains to Him in silence. The recollections of our weeping hearts will awaken memories from the slumber. Yes; they scorned at Christ when he was crucified. They swore against Major Isaac Boro even before he was condemned to death. In late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha’s time he chewed his bite of his life – coffin bearers, clappers and dancers. Now, where is the voice of resource control?
It would go down in the annals of Niger Delta that two ‘unkindest cuts’ against the people of the Niger Delta region were the gruesome murder of Ken Saro Wiwa and Chief Diepreye Solomon Alamieyeseigha, the first executive governor of Bayelsa State. The reality everyday is that at the fullness of time, we, all mortals shall go the way of all flesh and return to the dust. Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha died at 62 years of age but his legacies will live on for hundreds of years to come.
The dateline was 9th December, 2009. All was set for a military take – over of the state apparatus of Bayelsa State driven by a Federal Government masterminded impunity. Albeit, the previous Sunday, news was agog that over two – third of members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly have been kidnapped in a Gestapo fashion into a luxurious bus and whisked to Abuja for unknown reasons. The impeachment notice has been served on the governor earlier and the state judiciary was already fixed in a dilemma between her rights and choices. That fateful Wednesday morning of 9th December, 2009, amidst the windy and stormy weather were rumors that the governor has relocated to his home town, Amassoma for safety. What was left of Yenagoa, the state capital was the blaring military sirens and the battle ready ground troops backed up by series of martial helicopters hovering over a little above our roofs. The message was clear, “This Egbesu Governor must be removed” I was in my office in hospital road, Yenagoa near the theatre of war, Government House. The roads were scanty and barricaded but left to the whims and caprices of military gun shots to scare away modicum of militants’ resistance from the natives especially among the youths. About three hours later, rumours became rife that the embattled Governor DSP Alamieyeseigha has been smoked out of his home town, Amassoma and now found refuge in the Bayelsa Commissioner of Police lodge near my office. The CP Bayelsa couldn’t help as he was sweating between the devil and the red blue sea. Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha was finally arrested right before the helpless Commissioner of Police and detained in his own ‘Creek Haven’ (Government House). NTA News headline 9pm Screamed, “ Governor DSP Alamieyeseigha has been impeached, flown to Abuja and charged for money laundering by the “Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)”. The footages of the network news displayed my dear Governor – General of the Ijaw nation being tied like a chicken doomed by a butcher and led to a waiting and active helicopter in the Government House.
As I sat in my sitting room watching the drama, my eyes became soaked and I could not withstand the sight. My heart could not weigh back the tears as they roll profusely and helplessly down my cheek. I went outside and stood by my window to peep into the weird newsreel. One of the saddest days in my entire life! The voice of the Ijaw nation has been disgracefully handcuffed and gagged.
It was not that Governor Alamieyeseigha was a saint but the trademark of the Ijaw nation, the shameful embarrassment and the diabolical degree of betrayal by his own people for self – serving ends!
Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha was released on bail for medical attention at Dubai. There, some state governors and political allies visited him for the sake of solidarity. The Federal Government quickly filed a charge of mutiny against him in court. Governor Alamieyeseigha was finally incarcerated by the London Metropolitan Police on his return to Germany shortly he survived a surgical operation.
The demonstrative drummers and dancers occupied the streets of Yenagoa with big banners and placards cherishing artificial intelligence images of the governor being dressed in disguised lady to evade security network in order to escape to Nigeria at the Airport.
The coffin of Alamieyeseigha was displayed at the gate of Government House, Yenagoa by his own people, clamouring he should not come back to Yenagoa alive. We recall, that every national forum, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha, the famed Governor – General of the Ijaw nation was never a pretender. He had questioned why the crude oil and gas from the Niger Delta is a national booty while mineral resources are owned by individuals and states? He has propagated the gospel of Resource Control to the extent that it became a religion in the Niger Delta. He would frequently recall how Los Angeles, a state between Southern California in the United States is the fourth largest economy in the world because of its oil wealth. He vehemently attacked the Nigeria obnoxious, exploitative, punitive, discriminating and unjust decrees such as the Petroleum Decree of 1969, the Land use Decree of 1978, the Gas Re – injection Decree of 1979. He was vocal everywhere challenging the legibility of the ugly vestiges of the colonial legacy where every Niger Delta community that draws the attention of the Federal authorities to their despicable plight becomes a terrorist camp or target for military expeditions while it is the reverse in other parts of the federation. He condemned them as acts of biased economic terrorism against the people of Niger Delta. He was fond of reminding the Federal authorities that Bayelsa State with longest coastline of 203 kilometers open to the sea has been eaten up by the ocean surge especially in the Koluama communities and called for Federal Government immediate attention.
At the 2005 National Political Conference he was a ear - splitting voice for increased derivation formula and resource control. Yet, they hounded him from Dubai to London and was repatriated, tried, found guilty and jailed in Nigeria. He was granted Presidential pardon by his erstwhile deputy governor and protégé – son, President Godluck Ebele Jonathan on March 12th, 2013. The tragic travails took toll in his health and in his desperate fight for life, he found his last moments at the University of Port – Harcourt Teaching Hospital at exactly 9:06pm, October 10th, 2015.
At the aftermath of the Kaiama Declaration in 1998 and when he assumed office as governor of the only homogenous Ijaw state, he successfully blocked all state stratagem to exterminate active Ijaw youth leaders by the ‘Point and Kill’ Nigerian state. He was revered as the crown prince of the Niger Delta by the youths. He was a fearless commander and fighter in the epic battle for equity and fiscal federalism in Nigeria and was not just the Governor – General of the Ijaw nation. We would continue to reminisce his proactive leadership role during the Arogbo-Ijaw vs Ilaje war between 1998 and 1999 and the Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) and Ijaw Youths in Lagos 2002 when he had to cut short his trip abroad to visit Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Lagos State and brought the crisis under immediate control.
Throughout his life as governor, he never discriminated any Ijaw man from any part of the federation. He was heard as directing his cabinet members that the artificial creations of states and boundaries, their names for administrative convenience by the Nigeria state cannot obliterate our bloodhood as Ijaw people, a divine creation by the Almighty GOD. He had insisted, Bayelsa is the origin of Ijaws everywhere they are found in the world.
Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha provided scholarships in degree programmes even up to masters and Ph.D in foreign universities in Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, Germany, Brazil. He sponsored founding academic staff of his newly established Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island to acquire more knowledge overseas, most of whom are now erudite professors in their various disciplines. He started the 500 – bed hospital in Yenagoa which today accommodates the Bayelsa Medical University. The Banquet Hall, the Azikoro Housing Estate, the Treasury House, Sani Abacha road, Yenagoa – Mbiama road are some of his lasting legacies.
The governor was hunted, harassed and humiliated to death yet he had the largest heart to forgive all traitors before his death. He publicly declared his forgiveness for his perceived enemy President Olusegun Obasanjo on grounds that he handed over leadership of Nigeria to his godson and brother President Goodluck Jonathan. Until his death he freely attended funerals and shared birthdays, marriages of his purported enemies when they lost their beloved ones or gave out their children in marriage. That is the spirit of the Ijaw man for you. He was so elated over Dr. Goodluck Jonathan meteoric rise to the Presidency but his health did not permit him to enjoy the fruits of his sacrifices.
The Governor – General of the Ijaw nation was one of the ever - lived Ijaw who loved his people to the bosom of his very heart. He could evince every sacrifice for his people. However, it is pathetic to add here, when excess money and power are wielded by a man, the beast in man cannot be submerged for too long. Sometimes we need to search ourselves inward because we are human.
Governor DSP Alamieyeseigha was clearly a normadic governor who was hardly sighted in Yenagoa. He was a tourist – governor and the engine room of the state and her resources kept crying for help. And his detractors among the natives took advantage of it.
Also, Governor Alamieyeseigha deadliest political risk was to threw caution to the winds against the electoral current of 2013. He was vociferous against the unconstitutional but purported third – term (behind the scene) ambition of President Olusegun Obasanjo. He mobilized political allies and publicly pitted his tent with Vice President Atiku Abubakar who was poised to unseat his boss. Indeed, President Obasanjo was pretty aware of the governor’s machinations and had on several private occasions vowed to bring Governor Alamieyeseigha down no matter whose ox is gored. The governor himself committed political suicide ab-nitio. It is a lesson for all Ijaw leaders.
However, the role played by the Bayelsa political class was abominable in Ijaw norms. No matter how commendable our fathers and leaders we must shield them from external aggression. I would earnestly ask, where are the political gladiators who were desperate to take over the realms of affairs of Bayelsa State. Did they become the governors and ministers they bargained for? NO!!! Let everyone take retrospect and assess our criminal betrayal in the bloodhood and face the reality of human imperfections. We are all in same boat. The gas flares are still booming with acid rain and our fathers, mothers, children are instalmentally sentenced to early graves yet the flame of activism has been consumed by the primitive accumulation of useless wealth. All structures in Ijaw land has been monetized and they say it is “bad table manners to talk while eating”.
My sincere condolences to my beloved Ijaw nation. Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha’s song has ended but the echoes of his melodies will continue to linger on. Adieu my beloved Governor – General, the Olotu of Olotus, the Ogbofini – Owei of Wilberforce Island, the Izon – Ebidou-Owei of Ijaw land, the Ganuwan Katsina. History and posterity would forever remain kind to you. Rest on our exceptional leader and defender of the Ijaw race and cause.
By: Saibakumo Ahmed Eniyeketon, writes from Yenagoa
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