Shock, Disbelief Greet Ex-Bayelsa Gov, Alamieyeseigha’s Death…His Battle With Cardiac Arrest

A former governor of Bayelsa state, Diepreye Solomon Peter (DSP) Alamieyeseigha, is dead. Alamieyeseigha reportedly died of cardiac arrest at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, after slipping into coma two days ago and was placed on life support.

The Bayelsa state Commissioner for Information, Esueme Dan-Kikili, who confirmed the death, said that the demise of the former governor was a great loss to the Ijaw ethnic group.

His sudden death comes on the heels of fresh moves by the British government to get the former governor extradited to the UK to face a pending money laundering charge against him. Alamieyeseigha, who was facing money laundering charges, jumped bail and returned to Nigeria and has since then refused to answer summons to return for his trial.

The former governor was born on November 16, 1952 in Amassoma, Ogboin North Local Government Area, Bayelsa State and had his secondary school education at the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Yenagoa.

He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer in 1974, and was enlisted in the Nigerian Air Force, where he served in the department of Logistics and Supply.

Before retiring from the Air Force in 1992 as a Squadron Leader, he had served in Enugu, Markurdi, Kaduna and Ikeja. He became the Sole Administrator of Pabod Supplies Port Harcourt and later Head of Budget, Planning, Research and Development of the National Fertiliser Company (NAFCON).

He later became the governor of the Niger Delta state in Nigeria from May 29, 1999 to December 9, 2005. He was impeached on allegations of corruption after which he was succeeded by former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was then his deputy.

Meanwhile, Bayelsa State Governor Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson has reacted to the sad news of the sudden death of Alamieyeseigha, the first elected civilian governor of the State, describing it as a personal loss to him, the government and people of the state.

An initial Government House statement, pointed out that, Chief Alamieyeseigha was a strong pillar of support to the government, stressing that, “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.”

“The Bayelsa state government also commiserated with his wife, Margret, his immediate family, the Alamieyeseighas, the entire people of the State, noting that, the Ijaw nation has lost a rare gem.”