Obasanjo almost fainted day I shook hands with him – Alamieyeseigha

.I will expose Obasanjo

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

TEN years after, the anger arising from the impeachment and subsequent imprisonment of former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamie-yeseigha by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration is still reverberating even though Alamieyeseigha claims he has forgiven Obasanjo.

Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha
Photo credit: Punch

Alamieyeseigha, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard in his country home in Yenagoa, said that he had forgiven all those who plotted and sent him to jail purely for political reasons even though the experience remains very painful to him.

The former governor was impeached and removed from office in December 2005 and was subsequently sent to jail for alleged mismanagement of Bayelsa State funds.

Some of his property alleged to have been secured with stolen funds in and outside Nigeria were confiscated and given to Bayelsa State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) working in conjunction with foreign security agencies.

But Alamieyeseigha, who was granted state pardon by his former deputy governor and immediate past President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, last year, said that Obasanjo has not known peace because of the role he played in events leading to his impeachment, arrest and subsequent imprisonment.

He recalled that Obasanjo nearly fainted the first time he met him after his release from prison. He said the former president, who met him accidentally at the Katsina Airport became jittery on seeing him and managed to shake hands with him. Alamieyeseigha said: “I have forgiven all those who plotted against me, including former President Obasanjo. I know all those who plotted against me and sent me to jail. I cannot be living in the past as it does not help me in any way.

“What I passed through is painful all right but it would not have happened if it was not permitted by God. It is even more important to me that I am still alive today because I passed through many shadows of the valleys of death and still came out of them. ‘’I have met Obasanjo at very close quarters twice since I came out of prison.

I did not know that he was at the VIP Lounge at the Katsina Airport to attend the marriage of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s daughter. Obasanjo came face to face with me at the airport when I went to use one of the rest rooms. It happened that as I opened the door to ease myself, I saw Obasanjo sitting face to face with me and he almost passed out.

“But I held his hands. He was scared and he felt uneasy all through. Then he began to ask ‘DSP, DSP, DSP! What have I done to deserve shaking your hands?’ There were many people there, one of them was Kenny Martins, the then chairman of the Police Equipment Fund.

“I told Obasanjo ‘I was only shaking you for two reasons: one-because of the fear of the Almighty God, who created us and two, for the fact that I am the Ganuma Katsina and you are a visitor to my emirate and tradition demands that I should welcome visitors’. “That prompted Kenny to get up also and greet me, saying ‘great leader, great leader’ and he came and hugged me.’’

The former governor said his second post-prison encounter with Obasanjo took place aboard a Dubai-bound flight where the former president met him seated in the business class and addressed him as ‘Fayose’ out of fear . His words: “The second encounter with Obasanjo was when we met on a flight going to Dubai. When Obasanjo came, I was already seated in the Business Class and he had no choice but to greet me.

But because of possible fear of seeing me, Obasanjo called out ‘Fayose, Fayose, Fayose.’ I protested to him that I am not Fayose and I said: ‘Former President Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo, you are a devil incarnate.’ “I warned him not to talk again or he would face my anger. And I tell you, throughout the flight he could not say anything to me.

The only thing Obasanjo managed to say was to ask me whether I was the only one who had ever been sent to the prison. ‘DSP,  is it only you that entered prison? Don’t you remember that I was also imprisoned? You entered prison and I also did.’’ In spite of his criticism of the former president, Alamieyeseigha, still has some kind words for Obasanjo.

Describing Obasanjo as a leader, who keeps his word and works hard, the former governor said he has a dossier on Obasanjo and would reveal it in his forthcoming memoirs to enable Nigerians know what the man had been doing since 1966.

“But one thing I know about Obasanjo is that he is a leader. If Obasanjo gives you his word, it remains his bond. You can call him any time of the night, and he will pick his phone directly.

He is ready to sit with you on how to solve a problem but he would not allow you to talk. That is the type of character he is. I have a dossier on Obasanjo and I will expose him and Nigerians will read it in my memoir,” Alamieyeseigha said.

 

Obasanjo almost fainted day I shook hands with him – Alamieyeseigha

National Conference: Alamieyeseigha attacks Obasanjo, calls him chief oil thief

Alamieyeseigha: “I went to President (Olusegun) Obasanjo. I even accused him that he is the chief bunkerer, that he should not call me again. I also accused him that those that are involved are also sitting in this arena and if he pushed me beyond that I am going to mention names. It became so hot that I was persuaded to follow him to his office. He held my hand and we entered. So there is actually enough intelligence that is open to the presidency. He himself, President Obasanjo, started mentioning names. I said ‘oh, you are the chief bunkerer, I confirm, you know them, don’t call me again.”

By Ehi Ekhator

A former governor of Bayelsa State, also an ex-convict, Chief Diepreye Solomon Alamieyeseigha has lambasted a former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, accusing him of being a chief bunkerer, saying that he knew the oil thieves in Nigeria during his administration,  but protected them.

Alamieyeseigha also lambasted the expatriates in the oil sector over their deep involvement in the illegal activities, saying that they collaborate with militants to kidnap themselves, expect their country to slam Nigeria, and their company (NNPC) woul run to make huge payment for their release, then later share the money with their abductors.

He added that the so called Niger militants are mere escort, and do not have the connection to sell oil out of the country.

He attacked the Nigeria ambassadors in different countries who he said also know of the countries buying Nigeria oil illegally without doing anything.

He cited a period when he arrested some oil thieves in Bayelsa during his time as governor, but to his greatest surprise, they were release following what he referred to as high level of conspiracy.

 The former governor and a delegate from Bayelsa State disclosed this on Monday to members of the Committee when the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC officials appeared before the Senator Adamu Aliero led Community on Public Finance and Revenue

He said, “I had one experience. Tankers were loaded in Bayelsa. I got the information and laid ambush for them and arrested them. About 14 big tankers and they were handed over to the police. They were charged to court and the judge ordered that the product should be tested if they were crude oil. NNPC was invited, they came took the sample and after a week the result came out as agro chemical and before I know it all of them were released.

“I went to President (Olusegun) Obasanjo. I even accused him that he is the chief bunkerer, that he should not call me again. I also accused him that those that are involved are also sitting in this arena and if he pushed me beyond that I am going to mention names. It became so hot that I was persuaded to follow him to his office. He held my hand and we entered. So there is actually enough intelligence that is open to the presidency. He himself, President Obasanjo, started mentioning names. I said ‘oh, you are the chief bunkerer, I confirm, you know them, don’t call me again.

“In fact expatriates are more involved in the crime than Nigerians. In fact some of them even offer themselves to be arrested so that when there is compensation they have a share of it. They are also involved in kidnapping. They allow themselves to be kidnapped. Oil companies are invited, their home countries will shout that their men are kidnapped; management of oil companies will now make efforts and pay ransom. When the ransom is paid they are released and that money is shared among them. So, it is a high level conspiracy that is going on.”

He also indicted some retire naval officers who he said were involve in the oil theft. He stressed that the local boys who are regularly arrested by the police are mere escorts.

He sai  “The so-called militants we celebrate that tap oil are only employed as escorts. If there is no buyer we will not find a seller. The post retirement job of a senior naval officer is bunkering. None of those boys you see in the Niger Delta have the necessary connections to bring ships to our economic zone to lift. Those that are making the connections are also part of us.

“In fact almost 50 percent of what we produce in this country is being siphoned outside to augment the international market. And where is the oil going? It is going to those countries and they know the type of oil that is coming out from Nigeria. It is different from others. The sulphur content here is very low and they know this but everybody is gaining from it.

“Let the federal government send warning letter to all the embassies that are in this country and give them three months. After three months if we see any ship that is not authorized in our economic zone, especially in the Niger Delta, it will be destroyed. Involve the Navy, buy few assault helicopters, buy missiles and after the three months any ship you see inside there by the time you destroy one, two ship no country will allow their ship to ship to enter and so there will be no buyer.” he said

 

National Conference: Alamieyeseigha attacks Obasanjo, calls him chief oil thief