The controversial former governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha is dead. His death was announced this evening after he was said to have slipped into a coma since Thursday and placed on life support.
The former governor was said to have died at the age of 63 after a sudden cardiac arrest at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
Alamieyeseigha was born on 16 November 1952 in Amassoma, Ogboin North Local Government area in Bayelsa state. He attended the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Yenegoa.
He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer in 1974, then joined the Nigerian Air Force, where he served in the department of Logistics and Supply.
He held various air force positions in Makurdi, Lagos and Enugu. Alamieyeseigha retired from the air force in 1992 as a Squadron Leader.
After leaving the air force, he became the Sole Administrator of Pabod Supplies Port Harcourt. Later he became Head of Budget, Planning, Research and Development of the National Fertiliser Company (NAFCON).
Alamieyeseigha was elected Governor of Bayelsa State in May 1999 as a member of the then ruling (PDP). He was re-elected in 2003. He was impeached on allegations of corruption on 9 December 2005.
Alamieyeseigha was detained in London on charges of money laundering in September 2005. At the time of his arrest, Metropolitan police found about £1 million in cash in his London home. Later they found a total of £1.8 million ($3.2 million) in cash and bank accounts. He jumped bail in December 2005 from the United Kingdom.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the UK has reopened the case before his sudden death today. [myad]
When things happen this way,(talking about sudden deaths of people no matter how big or small,rich or poor,influential or not,educated or uneducated).It is only a pointer to all of us that whatever we are doing in this world has an end.A day is coming when we shall depart from this world to meet a much more supreme being-God,to give account of our deeds.Interestingly,we shall surrender ourselves to Him for scrutiny and judgement and our activities will show,all the secret and open sins that were not repented of.What indeed shall be your answer then? What shall be your end? Heaven or hell? Just stop and think about this.God bless Nigeria!!