Alamieyeseigha: Time to Let Go

Comfort Obi

If you are a regular reader of this column, then, you will wonder why I am suddenly taking a soft stand on the impeached governor of Bayesla State, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha. I am not his fan. From the onset, there was something about him that put me off him. Assuming, mouthy and arrogant, he took interest in running down others, especially one South south governor, and Timi Alaibe, Executive Director, Finance and Administration, NDDC.
He felt he was more superior than any other Ijaw man. So, he became the self-styled Governor-General of Izon. In Bayelsa, he felt there was nobody else like him. He was fond of saying, “Oweifa Bayelsa.” Meaning: Nobody in Bayelsa. That statement put him in direct confrontation with some Bayelsa indigenes. They took it as both a challenge and an insult. He didn’t want any Bayelsa indigene to rise above him. Some people are like that. They want to be the only shinning star around. Anybody else, they destroy.
He was about one year old in office when this magazine began to carry stories about his “exploits.” This magazine was the first to carry a story on the raping of Bayelsa State under him. We published documents which he was to dismiss as fake. They were not. On publication, he, through friends of ours, invited us to Yenegoa, so he could tell his own side of the story. Reluctantly, and in respect for our friends, Maik Nwosu and I visited. But it was a visit which almost ended in a fisticuff. One of his Commissioners – I forget his name now – in a raw show of sycophancy, almost went physical with us. Alamieyeseigha became the peace maker. He was the one who called his unruly and badly brought-up commissioner to order. I regretted he did. Because that would have made a good cover story.
As it was, Alamieyeseigha’s interview made our main cover story, not for the substance, but because he lived up to his reputation of taking pride in running others down. A South south governor was the most hit.
So, from the onset, we were in the vanguard of those who saw through Alamieyeseigha. When he was arrested in London for money laundering offences, we were not as shocked as others, because we suspected that for a long time. When he was put in handcuffs in London, like a common criminal, I felt sorry for him. I know we celebrated his fall, but I caught myself shedding tears later, when I realised that he had just come out of a major surgery, even if it was self-inflicted. I began to sympathise with him. But he lost my sympathy when he began to accuse everybody but himself for being responsible for his fate. My question then was: “Did anybody plant the money on this guy?” His problem was self-inflicted. Yet, he wouldn’t keep quiet. Along with his loquacious friend, Terry Waya, he made more enemies than friends for himself.
He soon did the unprecedented: He jumped bail and came back to Yenegoa. That marked the beginning of his final fall. So, he came back, and received a shameful, “heroic” welcome. Decent and civilised people were both shocked and embarrassed at once. Soon, he began to receive solidarity visits. But decent Bayelsa sons and daughters were ashamed. Soon, the bubble burst. Bayelsa people rose in anger, one day, and said enough was enough. They said they no longer wanted a shameless man as their governor. They carried a coffin around Yenegoa and said it belonged to Alamieyeseigha. That singular act, which continued for days, gave the once timid members of the House of Assembly the courage to impeach him.
I have always disagreed with those who say that Alamieyeseigha was impeached unconstitutionally. He was not. His case was so bad that no constitution would have saved him. On his sack, he was not able to repeat the Ben Johnson he did in London in Yenegoa. He does not have the “sharpness” of Ayo Fayose and Joshua Dariye. So, he was arrested, handcuffed and delivered to the waiting hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He has since been in their custody, almost one year after.
Since then, Alamieyeseigha’s health is gradually failing. In fact, it has failed. Some of these big men, once you put them under arrest, they claim their health had suddenly failed. Yet, I have learnt to take them seriously. The case of former Chief Army Staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi, is a case in point. He is not pretending. His health has failed. The tragic case of Morris Ibekwe is another case in point. The EFCC left him there, even after he was brought to court in a stretcher, to die for a case he was never found guilty of.
When I saw, on the front page of The Guardian on Saturday, November 18, a photograph of Alams, I was shocked. He has completely changed. He looked very ill and helpless. Even the devil himself would have mercy looking at him. He couldn’t stand up well. He was sprawled, almost, on a table. And I was moved. This man was an ex-governor. Forget his character, he is a human being. More important, this man has not been found guilty of anything yet.
So, why do we want him dead? He has a heart condition that doctors had since confirmed cannot be treated here. Have we become so souless that we would deliberately allow an ex-governor to die just like that? If he dies, what is anybody going to tell his family, his people? When did we become this callous? How did anybody allow his health to degenerate to this level?
I was relieved on Thursday, November 23, when the court finally ordered that he be taken abroad for treatment. Knowing Nigeria, the court may be ignored. Or, protocol may delay it for weeks more. I pray not. Alamieyeseigha should be flown out immediately. Every effort should be made to save his life. If he dies, what will anybody gain? If he dies, will the trial for his alleged crimes still continue? This man is down already. Let us not rub it in too much. Now is the time to let go. Help, somebody!