Former President Goodluck Jonathan almost broke down in tears on Friday over the death of a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, declaring in in an emotional voice that he remained indebted to Alamieyeseigha and without the former governor nobody would have known him in the world.
Lamenting the sudden demise of Alamieyeseigha, the ex-president said he had lost an elder brother.
Jonathan, who started his political journey by serving as Alamieyeseigha’s deputy from 1999 to 2005, said he was saddened by the unexpected demise of his former boss.
The former president spoke when he paid a condolence visit to the family of Alamieyeseigha at their residence in Opolo, Yenagoa.
In his entourage were the Governor of the state, Seriake Dickson, his deputy, John Jonah, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Edmund Allison-Oguru, other officials of government and elder statesmen.
Alamieyeseigha’s widow, Margaret, on sighting Jonathan broke down in tears and wept uncontrollably.
Jonathan said his relationship with Alamieyeseigha was not that of a governor and a deputy governor but that of an elder brother and a younger brother.
He said: “It is sad. I directly worked as a deputy governor to Alamieyeseigha. I knew Alamieyeseigha during the UNCP days when we were working for him.
“I never knew I was going to be his deputy because that was not my interest then. From that time, the political evolution in the country and the state brought me to work with him.
“And from 1999, we have been together. He always took me as his younger brother. Our relationship was not that of a governor and a deputy but it was that of a younger brother and an elder brother.”
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