Diepreye Peter Solomon Alamieyeseigha
NATIONAL MIRROR – Former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, yesterday warned that the failure of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan would amount to the failure of the North. Alamieyeseigha made this declaration on Friday in Abuja during the award given to the chairman of HMG Oil and Gas, Alhaji Hamza Mohammed by Arewa Youth Forum
According to the former governor who was the chairman of the occasion, Jonathan was surrounded by northerners placed in strategic positions, hence the failure of the present administration should be blamed on the northerners in office.
His words: “If you look at the structure of this country, those that have made it happen, those in the driver’s seat, President Goodluck Jonathan is only one person. One out of so many around him; and quickly, the next person to him is the vice president. He is from the North.
The third person is the Senate President; he is also from the North. The head of the judiciary is also from the North. The Inspector- General of Police is also from the North. The Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Comptroller- General, Customs, the National Security Adviser, Comptroller-General, Immigration, CBN Governor, INEC Chairman, EFCC Chairman. I can keep counting. Tell me, which office is left?
They are all from the North. So, if this government fails, the north has failed. Not only Goodluck Jonathan from a small state called Bayelsa State.” Alamieyeseigha also blamed the economic misfortune of the nation on former leaders of the northern part of the country, whom he said had failed to develop their region despite the privilege to do so. He said: “As a child, I am 61, so I have a fair knowledge of this country.
I went to Defence Academy; I also have fair knowledge of the North. Most of their leaders, I am directing it to the Northerners. All their houses are in Kaduna, Abuja, Lagos. Go to their villages, they don’t even have houses in their villages, but they have parents left behind, no water, no electricity. Because they are enjoying urbanisation, they have forgotten where they come from. “Leadership has been with some of them. If they have used the resources of this country in developing our rural areas, we won’t be talking about this level of poverty in our remote areas.”
While describing the awardee who was honoured with “Medal of Fellow of Northern Youths” as young promising leader, detribalised and an embodiment of professional qualities, he expressed optimism that there was hope for Nigeria should her youths be groomed to overcome her present challenges.
Alamieyeseigha also scolded opposition parties for welcoming members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. “These are some of the persons that are talking, making nonsense of themselves. They are saying that PDP is bad. It is not a party that people should belong to. But the opposition, when PDP members defect to their so called opposition party, they celebrate.
They are happy getting those people that are not good to join them. There is no hope, if they are not thinking of better persons to transform this country but the same people that have failed.
