The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) says it will organise a public lecture every year to immortalise the late former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

Mr Udengs Eradiri, President of the IYC, said this on Thursday in Yenagoa as activities for the funeral rites of Alamieyeseigha commenced.

He said the annual public lecture would centre on true federalism, fiscal federalism and resource control, which were some of the ideologies Alamieyeseigha stood for.

“We will be holding annual public lecture on true federalism and fiscal federal as a mark of honour to immortalising DSP Alamieyeseigha. Every year, on the date he died, we will organise annual public lecture to look at issues concerning resource control and true federalism,” Eradiri said.

He reiterated that Alamieyeseigha, who was known as the Governor-General of the Ijaw Nation in his heyday, suffered political victimisation and persecution because of his belief in the Ijaw struggle.

Eradiri described Alamieyeseigha as “a shoulder for every Ijaw to lean on”, who was magnanimous to Ijaw sons and daughters, awarding them scholarship and appointing them into public offices without discrimination.

“When he was governor, he mobilised other governors for good causes in the polity. Till date, nobody has done the kind of mobilisation that he did. These qualities endeared him to all who called him as the Governor-General of the Ijaw Nation. But the establishment and Abuja did not like him. They were not happy that he became a voice for the Ijaw nation,” Eradiri said.

•Photo shows late DSP Alamieyeseigha.