Posted by By FEMI FOLARANMI, Yenagoa, BASHIR UMAR, Abuja, WOLE ADEDEJI, Ilorin and MARIAM ALESHINLOYE AGBOOLA, Jos on
Tension gripped Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital Tuesday, as thousands of youths took to the streets protesting what they called the "embarrassing warm welcome" given to Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha
Tension gripped Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital Tuesday, as thousands of youths took to the streets protesting what they called the "embarrassing warm welcome" given to Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha who escaped from London where he was facing charges of money laundering while another group warned against any action by the Federal Government against the governor.
However, Alamieyeseigha has appealed for calm among the youths so that reactionary forces against the state would not seize the opportunity of a crisis to take over the state.
This is coming at a time the State House of Assembly, earlier scheduled to sit Tuesday, could not, following summons by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Also, it came at a time indication shows that the relationship between Alamieyeseigha and Deputy Governor Goodluck Jonathan may have gone sour.
Daily Sun investigations revealed that Jonathan moved his family from his official residence to his private residence located at Nikton road Kpansia Tuesday, when Alamieyeseigha left for Amassoma. On hearing this, the governor went in search of Jonathan. He was said to have gone to his hometown Otuoke, where the duo were said to have held discussions.
Press secretary to the deputy-governor, Mr. Ekiyor Welson, told Daily Sun that Jonathan and Alamieyeseigha met at Government House were they held a meeting.
Earlier Tuesday morning, members of the Ijaw Republic Assembly, led by their coordinator, Charles Harry, had commended the escape of the governor, explaining that he was not expected to defend himself in a court skewed against fair hearing.
Harry blamed the Federal Government for preparing the grounds for Alamieyeseigha's escape when it dispatched the Attorney- General and Minster of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo to oppose the granting of bail to the governor. He warned that the battle was no longer against Alamieyeseigha but the whole Ijaw nation.
But in a counter protest, thousands of Ijaw youths marched through the streets of Yenagoa and demanded that the governor should go back to London and face trial over the charges the London Metropolitan Police levelled against him.
The youths, who marched from Harbour Road through the Government House and the Mbiama/Yenagoa road and carried placards with inscriptions, such as: "We support EFFC", "Alamieyeseigha go back to London and face your trial", "Federal Government come and take Alamieyeseigha back to London", "We don't want bloodshed anymore", "the thieving governor must go back," insisted that they would embark on violent protests if the governor refuses to go back to London and clear himself of the allegations levelled against him.
Chief Broadfield Agbagu, who spoke to Daily Sun, said the protest was to correct the impression that youths of the state were happy that the governor escaped from London.
His words: "This protest is mainly to demonstrate that the entire people of Bayelsa State do not want Alamieyeseigha anytime as governor of the state until he clears himself of all allegations levelled against him. He should go back to London to answer his criminal case and that is the meaning of what we are doing. We are protesting his coming back from London through illegal means."
In a related development, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Daisy Danjuma, has said that for Governor Alamieyeseigha to disguise as a woman to ease his escape from London indicates that womanhood was a saving grace for humanity.
Danjuma says "womanhood is always a graceful gift to humanity, and women are safe partners for men's safety and restoration, adding however, that "men must know that they can never be superior always, so the ideal thing is to always partner with women."
On the fate of Alamieyeseigha's family who are still in London, she said "I should not comment on that for now, because that is a legal matter still being handled by the Scotland police."
Also commenting on the development, another member of the upper legislative chamber, Senator Abba Aji, expressed shock that an elected governor could indulge in such a disgraceful mess and still be accepted by his people.
"To tell you the truth, I am still in a state of shock that an elected official of the status of a state governor, can commit such an illegality in a country that is one of our closest allies, where he had been given the chance to defend himself in a law court, and due to their respect for human dignity by granting him bail, and yet, he jumped that bail in a disgraceful way dressed as a woman.
He adds that "again, he not only faked his travel documents and landed in Nigeria like a woman, but also assumed duty immediately on arrival. I think that is very disgraceful."
Meanwhile, an Ilorin based lawyer, Mr. Abeni Mohammed has commended Alameiyeseigha for beating the London metropolitan police.
Seeing the escape of Alamieyeseigha beyond the legal point of view and diplomatic implication on Nigeria as being convassed by his other colleagues, Mohammed said the incident had simply become the work of nemesis for a nation whose dispensation of justice is ever unfair.
" I am not saying Alamieyeseigha is alright in law, going by the insinuations and alleged corruption practices against him by the Nigerian authorities, but what I am after is, are the people who now throw stones at the governor also above board? Are they also not culpable of money laundering?"