FORMER Governor Of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha died at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), yesterday, presumably from cardiac arrest. He was aged 62 years.
According to a prominent Ijaw leader, close to the Alamieyeseigha family, the deceased had earlier been rushed to the hospital from Bayelsa State, following a rise in his blood pressure.
When The Guardian visited UPTH, a top management official who pleaded anonymity, said the former governor slumped yesterday and that before he could be rushed to the hospital, he had passed away. He confirmed that the remains have been deposited at the mortuary.
Just recently, the British government had requested that the Nigerian government extradite him to London, to face money-laundering charges, having jumped bail in the United Kingdom in 2005.
Just recently, the British government had requested that the Nigerian government extradite him to London, to face money-laundering charges, having jumped bail in the United Kingdom in 2005.
On July 26, 2007, the late Alamieyeseigha, who hails from Ammassoma community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa, pleaded guilty before a Nigerian court to corruption charges and was sentenced to two years in prison. But because the sentences were set to run concurrently and the time was counted from the point of his arrest nearly two years before the sentences, his actual term was relatively short. Just hours after being taken to prison, on July 27, he was released, and later granted a state pardon by former President Goodluck Jonathan on March 12, 2013.
Until his death, Alamieyeseigha had been a strong advocate of the second term aspiration of the incumbent governor of the state, Seriake Dickson.
In his last outing as one of the political leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Alamieyeseigha had insisted that anticipated onslaught by the APC in the state during the forthcoming December 5 governorship election will not succeed, as the state is solely for the PDP.
In his last outing as one of the political leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Alamieyeseigha had insisted that anticipated onslaught by the APC in the state during the forthcoming December 5 governorship election will not succeed, as the state is solely for the PDP.
He became governor of Bayelsa State from May 29, 1999 and was impeached by the state House of Assembly on allegation of corrupt practices on December 9, 2005. He attended the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Yenagoa, before joining the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer in 1974, and then the Nigerian Air Force, where he served in the department of Logistics and Supply. After retiring from the Air Force, he became the Sole Administrator of Pabod Supplies Port Harcourt and later the Head of Budget, Planning, Research and Development of the National Fertiliser Company (NAFCON).
Reacting to the sad news, Dickson described his demise as a personal loss to him, the government and people of the state.
In a statement issued on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the governor pointed out that Alamieyeseigha was a strong pillar of support to the restoration government, stressing that his demise is a painful and monumental loss to the entire Ijaw nation, which he had always stood firm for in all its ramifications.
In a statement issued on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the governor pointed out that Alamieyeseigha was a strong pillar of support to the restoration government, stressing that his demise is a painful and monumental loss to the entire Ijaw nation, which he had always stood firm for in all its ramifications.
The Bayelsa State government also commiserated with his wife, Margaret, his immediate family, the Alamieyeseighas and the entire people of the state, saying the Ijaw nation has lost a rare gem.
The statement said further that the state government in due course would issue a more detailed response.
Also expressing his grief over the unfortunate incident, past President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Kimse Okoko, said he received news of the death with shock.
Also expressing his grief over the unfortunate incident, past President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Kimse Okoko, said he received news of the death with shock.
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