elected governor of Bayelsa state, did not die a
happy man. He suffered multiple tragedies in his
last days on earth and, on Saturday, went to his
grave abruptly, apparently with a broken heart.
In October 2014, the man once known as the
"governor-general of the Ijaw nation" flew to Dubai,
United Arab Emirates, to retrieve the corpse of
Oyamieyifa, one of his sons who diedunder
controversial circumstances. No father wants to
bury his child, and not even under such a cloud.
Tonbra, his other son, broke up with his wife of
seven months, Chikodi Stella Ononiwu, early 2015
in controversial circumstances after a dream
wedding which was the talk of the town. That might
have been of little worry to Alamieyeseigha, who
had to also watch his wife, Margret, suffer so much
pain as a result of bad health.
TheCable also understands that she is currently
undergoing treatment for a life-threatening ailment.
And in a most dramatic twist of fate, the British
government recently requested his extradition to
face trial for alleged money laundering, according to
reports.
In September 2005, the UK's Metropolitan police
had detained him after finding about £1 million cash
on him, and another £1.8 million in cash and
accounts. He was subsequently charged with
money laundering but he jumped bail after allegedly
disguising as a woman, an allegation he denied.
A family source told TheCable about how the former
governor received the news of the plans to
extradite him to the UK.
"He was devastated over the plans to take him
back to UK for trials. He told family members that
he has suffered enough of the judicial processes
and humiliation," the source said.
A few days later, he fell into a coma. He never
recovered. He died on Saturday from cardiac arrest
at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital,
the Bayelsa state government said.
JONATHAN STOOD SOLIDLY BY HIM
Alamieyeseigha, a retired air force officer, used to
enjoy a cult-like status among his people and his
travails in the UK did not deny him of that. Loyalty
is rare to find in the Nigerian political terrain but
DSP, as his supporters called him, got that even
from Goodluck Jonathan, his two-time deputy who
would later become vice-president and president of
Nigeria.
Unlike the average politician who would capitalise
on the misfortune of his superior to launch himself
into power, Jonathan stood by Alamieyeseigha until
he was impeached on December 9, 2005.
In a chat with journalists shortly after he took over
the reins of government in Bayelsa, Jonathan said:
"You all know how I have been loyal to him from the
beginning until this sad event made me succeed
him."
In his last known interview before he died,
Alamieyeseigha commented on what made him
choose Jonathan as a partner.
"I wanted a deputy governor who had high level of
intelligence and stable character like Jonathan," he
told Vanguard.
"I also needed an establishment person and
somebody who was not too ambitious that if I was
out, he could stand in for me and could run the
state. I needed somebody, who would not attempt to
cause trouble if I travelled out of the state so that I
could sleep well."
And that was exactly what Jonathan did.
THE CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM
In July, 2007,
Alamieyeseigha was sentenced to two years in
prison and many of his assets were ordered to be
forfeited to the Bayelsa state government.
He was discovered to have owned real estate in
London worth £10 million. In December 2009, the
federal government hired a British law firm to help
dispose of four expensive property acquired by
Alamieyeseigha in London.
In 2012, the US Department of Justice announced
that it had executed an asset forfeiture order on $
401,931 in a Massachusetts brokerage fund,
traceable to Alamieyeseigha. The allegations of
corruption against him were mind-boggling,
arousing fury when Jonathan as president of the
country, pardoned him in March 2013.
HE FORGAVE OBASANJO, HIS NEMESIS
Alamieyeseigha believed former President Olusegun
Obasanjo masterminded his trial and ruined him
politically because he opposed Obasanjo's
rumoured third term agenda.
He spoke on his encounters with the former
president, saying he had forgiven him.
He said: "I cannot be living in the past because it
does not help. It pains quite well but again, if it was
not permitted by God, it would not have happened.
And for me to be alive, I thank God. Sometimes
when I reflect on where I am coming from, I even at
times ask why I am still alive, having passed
through what I have passed through. It reminds me
of Psalm 23, somebody passing through the valley
of the shadow of death. I passed through it several
times. For me to be alive, I do not need to have
anything in mind.
"I have been at a very close quarters with Obasanjo
twice. The first encounter was at the Katsina Airport
during the wedding of the daughter of late President
Yar'Adua. I did not even know that he was in the
VIP lounge. I wanted to use the rest room and here
was Obasanjo directly sitting inside. I was even
scared because he almost passed out.
"I held his hand and he said DSP what have I done
to deserve a handshake from you? There were
other people; Kenny Martins and one of his political
friends present. I said I was shaking him for two
reasons. One was because of the Almighty God who
created us. Number two is that tradition demands
that we should welcome our visitors. Then Kenny
got up and said, great leader, great leader and he
came to hug me.
"The second encounter was when I was going to
Dubai and if Obasanjo had known that I was in that
aircraft, he would not have entered but I was
already seated. We were very few in the aircraft.
Because of fear, Obasanjo saw me and hysterically
called me 'Fayose, Fayose' and I told him that I was
not 'Fayose.' I said former president, Olusegun
Mathew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo, you are a devil
incarnate. I said when we were small, our lesson
teachers always talked about this devil and this
devil and I never knew that the devil is a human
being. I told him that you are a direct descendant of
the devil. I told him that if you talk, I will throw you
out of this aircraft.
"I knew of truth that he did not sleep throughout the
flight. The only thing he said was DSP, is it only you
that entered prison. I too entered prison. He said
you entered prison and I entered prison. He kept
quiet and I left. But I have forgiven him."
DICKSON WILL SURELY MISS HIM
One of those who would suffer from the demise of
the ex-governor is Governor Seriake Dickson, who
is standing for another election, in less than two
months.
The deceased was actively involved in the re-
election campaign of Dickson.
Responding to the news of the death, Dickson
described Alamieyeseigha "a rare gem", saying his
demise "is a very painful and monumental loss to
the entire Ijaw nation, which he has always stood
firm for in all its ramifications".
Born on November 16, 1952, Alamieyeseigha was
governor of Bayelsa state from May 29, 1999 to
December 9, 2005 when he was impeached.
