Former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha Passes On
Former Bayelsa Governor, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha
LAGOS OCTOBER 10TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Former Bayelsa Governor, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha is dead, a source in Bayelsa State confirmed.
Alamieyeseigha died today at a private hospital in Port Harcourt, Rivers State where he was said to have been rushed after suffering a cardiac arrest earlier in the week.
Sources disclosed that the former Bayelsa Governor was devastated after hearing the news of his possible extradition to the United Kingdom, U.K for trail.
Britain had requested for the extradition of the former governor to London to answer an outstanding case in the UK on money laundering.
The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay, was quoted to have said that the President Buhari-led government is prepared to assent to the request of the British
Government as the United Kingdom has every legal right to demand for the
extradition of the former Bayelsa State Governor.
“The UK is in principle correct to be making such a request based on the fact that the crime was committed on the British soil. However, when there is delay in trial as a result of time, there may be consideration on legal grounds so that the trial is not seen as oppressive,” he said.
“DSP” as he was popular called by friends was born 16 November 1952 and was governor of Bayelsa State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 9 December 2005.
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was born in 16 November 1952 in Amassoma, Ogboin North Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. He attended the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Yenagoa. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer in 1974, then joined the Nigerian Air Force, where he served in the department of Logistics and Supply. He held various air force
positions in Enugu, Markurdi, Kaduna and Ikeja. Alamieyeseigha retired from the air force in 1992 as a Squadron Leader.
After leaving the air force he became the Sole Administrator of Pabod Supplies Port Harcourt. Later he became Head of Budget, Planning, Research and Development of the National Fertiliser Company (NAFCON).
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was impeached on allegations of corruption on 9 December 2005.
It is extremely sad that this man has passed away! He, more than most other Nigerian politician paid a very high price for his time in office. The possibility of extradition as stated in the news media and canvassed by Prof. Sagay, would have been too much for him and led directly or indirectly to his death. I followed his trial in London those days and it must have been a most terrible experience not to talk of his experience here on his return to Nigeria when OBJ made sure that the law took its course. He kept a very low profile all through the years after his release from prison here. He lost his father recently and then his son in Dubai now he is gone. With his departure comes a very big gap in the political leadership of the Ijaw people, he was undoubtedly and unquestionably, the very best of the lot from the Ijaw Nation. He is a terrible loss to the Ijaw nation and Niger-Delta, that is if they would have enough sense to appreciate the loss rather than sell themselves out cheaply. Adieu uncle Alams, the governor-general of the Niger-Delta.