Former Senator Ehigie Uzamere has paid glowing tribute to the late Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, describing him as “a torch that still burns in the heart of the Ijaw Nation.”
Speaking on Friday at the 10th memorial lecture held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Uzamere hailed the former Bayelsa governor as a visionary who championed justice, resource control, and the socio-economic emancipation of the Ijaw people.
Delivering his goodwill message titled “A Torch That Still Burns — In Memory of Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha,” Uzamere highlighted the late leader’s lasting contributions, including the establishment of the Niger Delta University (NDU), infrastructural transformation of Yenagoa, and unwavering advocacy for fairness and federalism. He said Alamieyeseigha’s courage and resilience redefined leadership in the Niger Delta, noting that “when justice faltered, he stood firm; when silence seemed safer, he spoke truth to power.”
Uzamere described Alamieyeseigha as a man of vision and forgiveness whose legacy continues to guide the Ijaw struggle for dignity and self-determination.
“A decade may have passed since his departure, but his name still echoes in the songs of his people,” he said, urging the Ijaw Nation to uphold the ideals of unity, justice, and equity that the late governor lived and died for.
Read Senator Ehigie Uzamere’s full speech below.
A TORCH THAT STILL BURNS – IN MEMORY OF CHIEF D.S.P. ALAMIEYESEIGHA (1952–2015)
A goodwill message by Senator Ehigie Uzamere at DSP Alamieyeseigha’s 10th year anniversary memorial lecture at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Friday, 10th October, 2025.
INTRODUCTION.
Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha (1952–2015), often hailed as the “Governor-General of the Ijaw Nation,” served as the first civilian Governor of Bayelsa State from 1999 to 2005. As a pioneering leader in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, he championed the socio-economic emancipation of the Ijaw ethnic group, which spans states like Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Ondo, Edo, and Akwa Ibom. His tenure focused on addressing historical marginalization, environmental degradation from oil exploration, and demands for resource control, laying foundational developments that continue to influence the region. Alamieyeseigha’s efforts blended state-level governance with pan-Ijaw advocacy, earning him a legacy as a defender of equity and self-determination.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NIGER DELTA REGION.
Alamieyeseigha’s administration in Bayelsa State prioritized human capital, infrastructure, and security amid resource constraints, initiating projects that extended benefits to the broader Niger Delta. These efforts marked a shift toward sustainable growth in an area plagued by underdevelopment and militancy.
Education:
• He established the Niger Delta University (NDU) in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. This is Bayelsa’s first state-owned university. The institution has produced thousands of graduates, addressing manpower shortages and filling roles in state ministries, the private sector, and beyond, thereby fostering long-term economic growth in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta region.
• Through the State Scholarship Board, he sponsored numerous Bayelsans and Ijaws for higher education overseas, including Master’s and PhD. programs. A notable example is his approval in 2005 for a scholar’s studies at a historic Central European university, enabling uninterrupted advanced research and contributing to the intellectual upliftment of the region.
Infrastructure:
• Alamieyeseigha launched the Bayelsa Urbanization and Urban Renewal Project, transforming Yenagoa from a rudimentary settlement with limited roads into a more functional urban center. This initiative improved accessibility and living standards, serving as a blueprint for subsequent administrations.
• He completed several community-focused infrastructure projects, such as roads and public facilities, despite fiscal challenges, emphasizing equitable distribution across the eight local government areas of Bayelsa State.
• His investment in water, sanitation, and social services enhanced public health and quality of life, supporting broader regional stability.
Health and Security:
• While specific health initiatives are less documented, his administration advanced holistic development in health alongside other sectors, impacting local communities through integrated social reforms.
• During peak Niger Delta militancy, he personally led high-risk rescue operations into remote creeks to free abducted expatriate oil workers, de-escalating tensions, and ensuring uninterrupted oil production critical to Nigeria’s economy. He also responded swiftly to security crises in Ijaw areas, preventing economic disruptions and earning praise for his hands-on approach.
• In contributing to the growth of the Ijaw Nation beyond Bayelsa, Alamieyeseigha positioned himself as a unifier and advocate for the Ijaw people, promoting their political visibility, cultural identity, and economic rights across Nigeria. His work emphasized resource control demanding at least 50% ownership of oil revenues for producing regions and fiscal federalism to combat exclusion.
• He authored “Thoughts on Federalism, South-South, and Resource Control” (2005), a seminal work critiquing federal government overreach and advocating for Niger Delta autonomy, which influenced national debates on equity.
• Declaring Bayelsa the “Jerusalem” or spiritual homeland for all Ijaws from Ondo to Akwa Ibom, he fostered unity by hosting summits and mobilizing diaspora communities, including a 2004 visit to Georgia, USA, to advance Ijaw interests globally.
• He strengthened institutions like the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) by constructing the Ijaw Wari edifice in Yenagoa as their international headquarters, providing a platform for coordinated advocacy against environmental pollution and marginalization.
• Through the Bayelsa Partnership for Development, he forged collaborations with international donors for Ijaw-focused social and economic projects, emphasizing participatory leadership that engaged youths, elders, and the civil society.
• Alamieyeseigha fiercely defended Ijaw welfare across state borders, intervening in conflicts from Bakassi to Kaduna and inspiring a generation of leaders, including future governors and a president from Bayelsa State.
LEGACY:
Alamieyeseigha’s contributions transcended his governorship, birthing a cadre of Ijaw leaders who advanced regional causes and elevated the Niger Delta in national politics. Despite controversies, his resilience, symbolized by his 2013 state pardon for stabilizing oil flows, underscored his role as a bulwark against exploitation. Today, institutions like NDU and ongoing resource control advocacy stand as testaments to his vision for a prosperous, self-determined Ijaw nation within a fairer federation.
READ ALSO: Azaiki Hails Alamieyeseigha as ‘Sacrificial Hero of Ijaw Nation’ at 10th Memorial
Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha was more than a political figure. He was a symbol of the Ijaw spirit, a leader who carried the voice of the creeks with unwavering pride. He saw beyond his time and lifted his people with a banner of hope that still flutters in the winds of memory. His leadership was a testament to vision, courage, and the unyielding pursuit of justice for the Niger Delta and its people.
When justice faltered, he stood firm. When silence seemed safer, he spoke truth to power. His courage lit the path through the heart of the Delta, reminding all who followed that freedom comes at a cost, but it is a cost worth paying.
He was not without human flaws, yet even in his trials and tribulations, he remained a man of immense resilience and deep conviction. From the heights of power to the valley of persecution, he bore his burdens with a quiet dignity that has since been transformed into legendary. His story stands as a reminder that true greatness is not measured by the absence of struggle but by the courage to rise again after every fall. It is measured by the ability to forgive hurts and betrayals.
A decade may have passed since his departure, but his name still echoes in the songs of his people. The land remembers him; the rivers that cradle Bayelsa whisper his story. Memory keeps the righteous flame alive, and his deeds continue to outshine the grave. In every lesson passed down by the elders, in every struggle for fairness and equity, the legacy of Chief Alamieyeseigha endures. A torch for leaders, a call to serve with honour.
Now, he rests in God’s eternal embrace, his journey complete, his work remembered. May divine grace uphold his memory, and may time itself bear witness to a man whose life was defined by courage and compassion.
CONCLUSION:
O Lord of mercy and eternal peace, we lift before You the soul of Your servant, Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha. Continue to grant him rest in Your everlasting light. Bless and strengthen his beloved wife and children; surround them with comfort and grace. Extend Your hand of peace upon his extended family, that unity and love may continue to bind them. And upon the Ijaw nation, the people he so dearly loved, pour out wisdom, strength, and vision, that they may carry forward his dream of justice, dignity, and self-determination, Amen.
Long live Ijaw Nation!
Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria!!
• Senator Ehigie Uzamere