Former Bayelsa state governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in an interview granted to Vanguard has revealed that he came out of detention with just N500, claiming everything he ever owned was collected from him by the government.
He further said he had learnt his mistakes and he is a happy man living a contented life with his family.
It will be recalled he was impeached on allegations of corruption on 9 December 2005. Many of his assets were ordered to be forfeited to the Bayelsa state government. According to him, he only pled guilty due to his age and would have fought the charges had he been younger.
He was however given presidential pardon by former president Goodluck Jonathan on 12 March 2013.
“The Lord, Almighty God is Holy and has sustained me and my family effortlessly. Though the challenges are always there, but if you are serving God you don’t need to be worried about tomorrow. He has always sustained me. I am not doing anything that is income generating per se. I am also, not begging anybody for help. I am contented with the little pension I receive. I am a man with a contented heart. I am always happy. My family has not also complaining.”
“This earth, where we are is a workshop. So, it is expected we must pass through certain experiences in life. I have learnt my lessons for good, a leader must also be capable of enduring pains when it comes. You can never have comfort all the time. If what happened to me, if it were today I would have known how to handle it better.”
“So many things happened anytime I sit down and recollect some of these things I laugh over them. I thank God, I would not have been here talking to you, I would have been a dead man because several attempts were made to eliminate me. But thank God I am alive today and I also thank late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who saw it coming and called as a president and saved my life.”
“He said “Ganuwa Katsina” they will kill you, if you think anything will happen, nothing will happen. He said weeks after your death, your people will make noise. After, it is the same your people that will send CV’s for appointment and that will be the end of you.”
“This Nigeria, don’t argue with any body, if it requires removing your dress so to set your self free come out of it. I did not sign any paper that set me free, they signed everything by themselves, they took everything I had, I came out of detention with only N500. Everything I had since I was born was taken away from me.”
“Even this house we are in now, if it were located outside Bayelsa State it would have been taken away from me. They couldn’t try it because they would not have been comfortable in it, my people were ready to protect it. It is good, we are alive to be telling these stories so that the younger ones who have not experience these things will learn from our experience.”
He is currently the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP Elders Committee in Bayelsa state, and drumming support for the re-election bid of Governor Seriake Dickson.
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