Alamieyeseigha Ridicules Obasanjo At National Conference

Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Solomon Alamieyeseigha on Monday ridiculed former President Olusegun Obasanjo. According to Alamieyeseigha, the one time Head of State shielded some oil thieves in the country during his administration between 1999 to 2007. He also declared that half of Nigerian oil was stolen daily with full knowledge of foreign embassies.

PUNCH newspaper reported that Alamieyeseigha made this statement when officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, appeared before the Senator Adamu Aliero led Committee on Public Finance and Revenue on Monday. The delegate from Bayelsa State told members of the Committee that some oil thieves he caught when he was governor of Bayelsa state were let off the hook because of high level conspiracy and connivance of NNPC officials. Alamieyeseigha also accused expatriates in the oil sectors for illegal activities in the industry. 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 to 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 all of them have been 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.”