What Alamieyeseigha meant to Niger Delta, by Diri, Ibori, others

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, erstwhile politician of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, and different salient personalities successful the Niger Delta person said the beingness of the precocious Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha symbolised the principles of federalism, assets control, justness and biology rights.

They said Chief Alamieyeseigha, who was the archetypal civilian politician of Bayelsa State, represented the dependable of the Niger Delta radical and that his legacies would continually animate generations successful the quest for justice, fairness and development.

They spoke connected Friday astatine the 10th memorial day successful honour of Alamieyeseigha successful Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital.

Speaking astatine the event, which had arsenic theme: “The Niger Delta Voice Through Nigeria’s Soul: Federalism, Resource Control and The Contemporary Nigerian State In The DSP Alamieyeseigha Legacies,” Governor Diri said for Nigeria to marque progress, it should signifier a national strategy of authorities wherever the sub-national units bask comparative autonomy guaranteed by its Constitution.

He described arsenic an abberation the concern wherever Nigeria, which ought to beryllium operating federalism, controlled the resources of the sub-nationals thereby shortchanging them of their God-given wealth.

Senator Diri averred that if Nigeria operated a federalist structure, agitations from number taste nationalities would mostly beryllium reduced.

“If we privation this state to determination forward, the sub-national governments should not beryllium controlled from the centre. If we privation this state to develop, you cannot usage the resources from 1 portion to make much section authorities areas successful different portion successful bid to provender that portion and past starve the country wherever these resources are coming from. That is not federalism.

“The Niger Delta radical person been robbed done the Land Use Act and we basal against it anyplace and anytime. Nigeria needs to close these anomalies.”

According to the Bayelsa governor, Alamieyeseigha’s advocacy for assets control, justness and biology rights was not lone for the Niger Delta radical but for the advancement of the country.

He urged the Niger Delta radical to beryllium agreed and physique a communal beforehand successful the combat for assets power and not let enactment authorities and idiosyncratic interests get successful the mode of their corporate struggle.

Diri emphasised the request to utilise intelligence and diplomatic means successful their quest to execute justice, fairness and bring astir the overmuch needed improvement of the region.

“We person elevated enactment authorities supra our unity. That is portion of the authorities of lipid and gas, which is meant to support america divided.”

Similarly, erstwhile Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori, who described Alamieyeseigha arsenic his bosom person portion they were colleague-governors, said the precocious Ijaw Governor-General was ne'er frightened successful the defence of his people.

Ibori claimed that similar Martin Luther King, the ‘bullet’ that took Alamieyeseigha was fabricated, encouraged and delivered by the Nigerian state.

He, however, expressed restitution that what his departed comrade stood and advocated for has continued to unrecorded connected and would not die.

Ibori, popularly known arsenic the Odidigborigbo of Africa, appreciated Diri for strengthening Alamieyeseigha’s legacies and the Ijaw conflict done the yearly memorial day by the authorities government.

The keynote speaker, Prof. Ibaba S. Ibaba, said Alamieyeseigha’s emergence arsenic Bayelsa politician marked a defining infinitesimal successful the Ijaw and Niger Deta conflict for equity and justice.

Ibaba described the Niger Delta arsenic an embodiment of Nigeria’s paradox of wealthiness amid pervasive poorness and underdevelopment, which helium noted led to the celebrated Kaiama Declaration and the Ogoni Bill of Rights.

He stressed that the precocious hero, successful his speeches and actions, took the Niger Delta agitation into the bosom of the nationalist debate, placing Bayelsa and the portion firmly connected Nigeria’s nationalist representation of governmental reckoning.

According to the erudite governmental scholar, federalism for Alamieyeseigha and radical of the Niger Delta was meaningful lone if it guaranteed cont...