…Say His Legacy Embodies Federalism, Justice, and Resource Control
By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa
Prominent Niger Delta leaders, including Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, and former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, have described the late Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha as a symbol of the region’s enduring struggle for true federalism, resource control, justice, and environmental rights.
They spoke on Friday at the 10th Memorial Anniversary of the late Bayelsa leader, held in Yenagoa, themed “The Niger Delta Voice Through Nigeria’s Soul: Federalism, Resource Control and the Contemporary Nigerian State in the DSP Alamieyeseigha Legacies.”
Governor Diri, in his remarks, said Nigeria’s progress depends on operating a genuine federal system that allows sub-national governments autonomy over their resources and development. He described the existing structure—where the central government controls resources from federating units—as an aberration that perpetuates inequality.
“If we want this country to move forward, sub-national governments should not be controlled from the centre,” Diri said. “You cannot use the resources from one region to create more local government areas in another region to feed that region while starving the area where those resources come from. That is not federalism.”
The governor faulted the Land Use Act, saying it deprived Niger Delta communities of their natural wealth, and urged the Federal Government to correct the imbalance.
Diri noted that Alamieyeseigha’s advocacy for resource control, justice, and environmental rights was not merely an Ijaw or Niger Delta agenda but a national vision for equity and development. He called for unity among Niger Delta leaders, warning against allowing party politics and personal interests to derail their common struggle.
“We have elevated party politics above our unity,” he said. “That is part of the politics of oil and gas designed to keep us divided.”
In his tribute, former Delta governor Chief James Ibori described Alamieyeseigha as a fearless advocate who stood for the rights of his people even in the face of state persecution.
“Like Martin Luther King, the ‘bullet’ that took Alamieyeseigha was fabricated and delivered by the Nigerian state,” Ibori declared. “But what he stood for—justice and fairness—continues to live on.”
He praised Governor Diri for preserving Alamieyeseigha’s legacies through the annual memorial, which he said reinforces the ideals the late “Ijaw Governor-General” championed.
The keynote speaker, Prof. Ibaba S. Ibaba, highlighted that Alamieyeseigha’s emergence as Bayelsa’s first civilian governor marked a turning point in the Ijaw and Niger Delta struggle for justice and equity.
He said the late leader’s administration helped position Bayelsa and the Niger Delta firmly within Nigeria’s national discourse, giving voice to issues of underdevelopment, environmental degradation, and marginalization.
“For Alamieyeseigha, federalism was only meaningful if it guaranteed control over resources for development, dignity, and survival,” Ibaba noted.
The event featured a panel session moderated by journalist Dr. Reuben Abati, with contributions from environmental rights advocate Annkio Briggs, Ijaw activist Elder Timi Ogoriba, and former Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, Prof. Steve Azaiki.
Dignitaries at the memorial included the Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; immediate past Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (rtd); wife of the late governor, Mrs. Margaret Alamieyeseigha; PANDEF National Chairman, Amb. Boladei Igali; and President of the Ijaw National Congress, Prof. Benjamin Okaba.
Others present were the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, Chief Ebitimi Amgbare; Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei; top government officials, and community leaders from across the region.
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