Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday recounted his memories of the late ex-governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Alamieyeseigha was declared dead last year, shortly after rumours of the re-opening of his trial for money laundering was announced by British authorities.
In his message at the occasion, Jonathan,who was present with his wife, Patience Jonathan, noted that though death is a necessary phase every human being must pass through, the death of Alameisegha left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Jonathan recalled that the administration of late DSP Alameiseigha with him as deputy governor was the most difficult in the history of the state.
“We met a Bayelsa that was under siege. Because of the siege, elections were postponed for one month. Even the military administrator then wrote to the federal government about the difficulty.
“When we took over. There were two governments. Alameiseigha and I on one hand, and the militant youths on another. Alams gave us three things. He gave us vision, peace, social integration and infrastructural development. He established the Niger Delta University and said without education, you can not propel your people. Alams encouraged peace. He visited militant camps. Some people say the governor and the deputy should not go together, but we did. Alams encourage such visits until peace came to Bayelsa State.”
The governor of Bayelsa State and the former Borno governor and acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu-Sheriff, who spoke in Ammassoma during Alameiseigha’s funeral service raised concerns over the rising tensions among the political leaders in the six geo-political regions over the fear of political intimidation by the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led federal government.
Others at the event included the acting BoT chairman of PDP, Alhaji Jibril Aminu, former governor of Akwa Ibom, Sen Godswill Akpabio, Governor of Imo State, Owelle, Rochas Okorocha, former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and former Governor of Taraba State, Rev Jolly Nyame, the former Senate president Aldolphos Wabara, Senator James Manager, Professor Kimse Koko, Sen Ibrahim Mantu among others.
