Posted by By FEMI ADESINA on
The impeachment typhoon sweeping across Ekiti and Plateau states will not stop until it consumes many more governors in the black blook of President Olusegun Obasanjo, says impeached Bayelsa governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
The impeachment typhoon sweeping across Ekiti and Plateau states will not stop until it consumes many more governors in the black blook of President Olusegun Obasanjo, says impeached Bayelsa governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Speaking with Daily Sun late last week from his bed at the National Hospital, Abuja, Alamieyeseigha, removed last December after money laundering charges were levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed that the impeachment gale will blow in at least 25 states before May 29, next year. Bayelsa down, Oyo down, 23 to go.
"As far back as April last year, I was tipped off by someone very close to the President," the ailing former governor said, in a voice barely above a whisper. "I was forewarned. I was told to go and beg the President, because I was among 25 governors on the watch list, slated for impeachment. But I didn't see any reason to beg."
Today, the former Bayelsa State helmsman knows better. On September 15, last year, he was arrested by the London Metropolitan Police, charged with money laundering, at the instigation of the Nigerian government. He returned home last November, after being put in a plane by the same London police which said it was no longer interested in Nigeria's political squabbles, and since impeachment on December 12, 2005, Alamieyeseigha has been in the custody of the EFCC.
"Daily, I have increasing risk of death by cardiac arrest, but EFCC would not allow me go abroad for treatment," stated the former governor. "Even the National Hospital says I should be allowed to travel. If I drop dead, will they try my dead body? Will it profit them?"
Right on the hospital bed, however, Alamieyeseigha has his native Bayelsa on his heart, the same heart that could reportedly suffer a seizure any moment.
"I did not work in Federal Government, I worked in Bayelsa State. So if according to Nuhu Ribadu, they have recovered about N50 billion from me, in which account is the money kept? They should give it back to Bayelsa, so that they can use it to make roads. Somebody who has not been tried, and you say you've recovered N50 billion from him. Ribadu is just working on the sensibilities of Nigerians. How much money came to the state since 1999 when I assumed office. N285 billion. And I alone took N50bn. Quite ridiculous. Earlier, they said I had a mansion in South Africa, now it's a mere 3 bedroom flat."
Yes, South African government recently said it would soon auction a house belonging to Alamieyeseigha because it was bought from the proceeds of crime. How does the man feel?
"That is the 3 bedroom flat. They first said it was a mansion, with a swimming pool, when all it had was a Jacuzzi. And even at that, how do they sell a property which case had not been determined? How did they know it was bought from proceeds of crime. It's the Nigerian government that asked them to do it."
Alamieyeseigha still had more bones to pick with the Nigerian government.
"Look at Terry Waya. Because he bailed me last year, he is being held in London now. Since he bailed me, everything about him in London had been frozen. It must be at the instigation of Nigeria."
Back to the tip-off he had in April last year.
"Yes, I was asked to go and beg the President, that I was not in his political camp. I was told to pledge allegiance to him. I saw no reason to do so. But the person who warned me said 25 governors were in trouble with the President. On the impeachment process in Ekiti and Plateau states, I don't want to hold brief, but there will be a post-mortem after this regime. People will review these so-called celebrated cases. I can never be forgotten in the history of Bayelsa. I made tremendous impact in that state, and they will never forget me. But people do not bother to check, and it's regrettable."
Nuhu Ribadu?
"I believe something is not quite right with him. Have you heard anywhere in the world where somebody in such position will run down his country, the Vice President, governors, even abroad? I thought we were too civilised for that. But the Nigerian psyche, when they hear corruption, nobody bothers again."
While complaining about his heart and his general health, which he says "is not good," Alamieyeseigha did not forget his root, Bayelsa State.
"If they say they recovered N50 billion from me," he declared, "please tell them to return it to Bayelsa. It will do good roads, build schools. Or are they keeping it to yield interest for Federal Government? It's not enough to make ridiculous statements on the floor of the Senate. You don't fight corruption on the pages of newspapers."