Alamieyeseigha, Justice and the People

Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual; the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country (Kraus, Karl).

My fellow Ijaws, a couple of us are beginning to lose sight of the real issues involved in the Governor Alamieyeseigha’s matter. There is no need to muddy the water and engage in fuzzy debates.

The Ijaws in Bayelsa State wanted someone to be their servant; someone who can manage the state’s resources effectively and efficiently; to help bring about socio-economic and political change and to see to it that there is growth and economic development. In addition, this person must give account of how he performed within the dictates of the law.

In return this person is rewarded with two things: (1) the people’s gratitude and affection and a place in their heart; and (2) a fixed salary plus some benefits. That was it. That was it folks.

So, here come Alamieyeseigha and a group of contestants — none of whom were forced to contest. It was strictly voluntary; and Alamieyeseigha won (legally or not is now not relevant).

And what did this man called Dipreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha do? He and his gang started stealing and misappropriating the people’s money; they started running amok with the people’s resources and acting as though the purse is/was theirs; they started acting as though they are beyond the law, above reproach and not accountable to any human being. He told the people who elected him to fuck off; or at least he acted that way.

With time Bayelsa State got too small for him and the playing field was not smooth enough. What did he do? (1) He went international and in the process illegally invested in about nine countries; (2) he and his posse sent their kids to the US and the UK and Canada while allowing the children of the masses to rot in poorly managed, poorly equipped and poorly staffed schools in Bayelsa

In addition, he and his friends and their families went to Germany and America and France and Britain and South Africa and all the spots in between for medical treatment while his own people — the same people who elected him — had to make do with 19th century medical care. His groups eat and drank some of the best food and drinks and slept in luxury, while the lay-Ijaws had to scavenge for food and other necessities.

His offences are almost endless…really, they are! Alamieyeseigha and his boys stole and stole and stole and stole and stole some more as though stealing in anticipation of their great-grand-great children. Haba, what greed can do! DSP and his arrogant friends were not only greedy; they were addicted to stealing and misappropriating the people’s money.

Sooner or later the chicken will come home to roost; sooner or later the greedy fat cat will be skinned. Alamieyeseigha got so confident, so cocky and so arrogant that he thought he was the emperor…the Governor General…the rainmaker. Hahahahaha he was wrong. There is always justice and Karma and retribution at the end of an unjust journey.

So, my people, this is not about OBJ and his political calculations or about some outside forces trying to do us Ijaws in, Oh no! This is about an Ijaw man who disrespected himself and his people. This is about an Ijaw governor who thought he had a direct line to God and occasionally though he was God. This is about a functional illiterate from Amasoma who allowed his insatiables and his excesses to cloud his judgment. This is about a thief who is also accused of money laundering. And for that he must suffer the legal, social and political consequences.