Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has eulogised the leadership qualities of the first elected governor of the state, late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, saying his name had continued to resonate positively six years after his passing.

Diri said that the signature projects and programmes carried out by Alamieyeseigha as governor of the state had remained strong foundation pillars for the state’s development.

The Governor spoke at the 6th memorial anniversary of the late politician held at Amassoma in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state on Sunday.

Alamieyeseigha died of complications arising from high blood pressure and diabetes which affected his kidney at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) on October 10, 2015. He was 62.

The governor said as a visionary leader, one of the legacies of the late governor was the establishment of the Niger Delta University (NDU), which has helped to bridge the manpower deficit in the state.

He also stated that another major contribution of the late Governor-General of the Ijaw nation was his advocacy for resource control by oil-producing states.

While calling on the people to celebrate their leaders, the governor urged all to work together for the development of the state, adding that the politics of bitterness and division would only pull the state backwards.

Diri said, “Chief Alamieyeseigha contributed to the growth and development of Bayelsa. That is why we will continue to celebrate him as a government and as a people.

“Alamieyeseigha was a visionary leader. That was why he established NDU that now addresses the manpower development challenge of Bayelsa State. If you go to our ministries today and even the private sector, you will discover that most of the employees are products of NDU. He is no longer physically present but his works will continue to speak for him.”

Speaking on behalf of the family, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Akpoebidei Alamieyeseigha, thanked Governor Diri for fulfilling his promise that the state would take over the planning of the annual memorial anniversary celebration of the late governor.

The highpoint of the celebration was the unveiling of Alamieyeseigha’s statue and the laying of a wreath at the tomb of the deceased by Diri.