The funeral rites of former Governor of Bayelsa, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, begins today in Yenegoa, the capital of the state.

Former Commissioner for Information, Esueme Dan-Kikile who heads the Publicity Sub-Committee of the burial committee, said Alamieyeseigha, would be given a heroic burial, yet solemn.

He said Alamieyeseigha was much loved by Bayelsans, who fondly described him as the Governor-General of the Ijaw nation.

While noting that the deceased politician had his own ‘human failings’, he affirmed that he deeply cared about the Niger Delta region.

“It is not that government will not be happy to bury him there (Ijaw Heroes Park) but we are also taking into consideration the interest of the family and the community.”

“It was in the course of this that the state governor set up the burial committee to be headed by the Deputy Governor of the state, John Jonah, to oversee preparation, planning and logistics for the state burial of Alamieyeseigha.”

“We have been working and since November 2015, we are expecting a befitting burial, a wonderful crowd at all the venues that activities will take place.”

“We are not only having the burial alone, we are also going to have some intellectual activities. We are having a lecture on ‘Federalism and developments in Nigeria’, to be delivered by Prof. G.G Darah, who is one of the finest scholars from this part of the country.”

“There is also a night of tributes and we are expecting dignitaries from all over the country who will come and pay their last respects to him in comments, speeches, songs, poems, poetry and many others.”

“He had his own human failings but he was undoubtedly committed to the development of this part of the country, particularly the Niger Delta region.”

“He stood for those things that are in accord to the development of the region and so the state government is not only putting in place the best thing in place to make sure he gets a befitting burial but also a successful one.”

Dele Benjamin