Renowned scholar and federal lawmaker, Professor Steve Sinikiem Azaiki (OON), has described the late former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, as “the sacrificial hero of the Ijaw Nation” whose courage, forgiveness, and vision laid the foundation for the political and cultural awakening of the Ijaw people.
Speaking at a commemorative event in Yenagoa to mark 10 years since Alamieyeseigha’s passing, Azaiki said the late governor’s life was one of “courage, sacrifice, and unwavering service to his people,” noting that his legacy continues to shape the destiny of Bayelsa and the entire Niger Delta.
“We are not gathered here to mourn, but to celebrate a man who lived and died for the dignity of the Ijaw Nation,” Azaiki said. “Alamieyeseigha became the sacrifice through which our voice was heard. His story was not just about one man, but about an entire people’s struggle for justice and inclusion.”
Azaiki, who once served as Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, recalled that Alamieyeseigha was instrumental to the creation of Bayelsa State, citing accounts from industrialist Gilbert Chagoury, who confirmed that Alamieyeseigha personally presented the state’s creation memorandum to General Sani Abacha, leading to the immediate approval of Bayelsa’s creation.
The professor also revealed how Alamieyeseigha’s leadership foresight paved the way for Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s rise to the governorship and later the presidency, saying the late governor believed in continuity and loyalty rather than control or kinship politics.
“When I asked him in 2004 who would succeed him, he said without hesitation, ‘I will hand over to my deputy, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.’ That was Alamieyeseigha — firm, visionary, and loyal to his word,” Azaiki recounted.
He described the late leader as a soldier with the heart of a statesman, recalling several instances that demonstrated his courage and compassion — from personally leading dangerous peace missions during the Sangana crisis of 2004, to forgiving his political adversaries even after impeachment.
Azaiki highlighted Alamieyeseigha’s commitment to education, noting that his DSP Scholarship Programme produced hundreds of Bayelsan professionals trained abroad, and that his visionary infrastructural projects, such as the 60-megawatt power plant deal with Russia, reflected a long-term vision for development.
“He was not just a politician; he was a builder of minds and futures,” Azaiki said. “He placed the Ijaw Nation above personal ambition and taught us that true leadership lies in forgiveness, not vengeance.”
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Reflecting on Alamieyeseigha’s 2005 impeachment and later years, Azaiki said his trials and sacrifices should be remembered as “the price of awakening for the Ijaw people.”
He urged the Ijaw Nation to uphold the values of unity, forgiveness, and collective purpose that the late governor embodied.
“Let us heal, let us forgive, and let us unite — for that is what he would have wanted,” he said.
In his closing remarks, Azaiki immortalized Alamieyeseigha as:
“A man of courage, conviction, and compassion.
A builder of minds.
A defender of justice.
A true son of the Ijaw Nation.
The Sacrificial Hero of the Ijaw Nation.”
Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, who served as Bayelsa’s first democratically elected governor from 1999 to 2005, died on October 10, 2015.