Concerned Bayelsa Monarchs Demand Fair Treatment of Ex-Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

Concerned traditional rulers from the Atissa kingdom, the ancestral home of embattled former Minister of Petroleum, Chief (Mrs) Diezani Alison-Madueke, in Bayelsa State, have demanded fairness and justice in the trial of the former Minister.

The traditional rulers demanded for fairness and closure, saying that for more than ten years, their daughter has lived under the weight of a protracted legal and public ordeal that has resulted in effective exile.

Addressing the press in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State capital, on behalf of other concerned traditional rulers who were present, HRH Ovie Omeleh, the paramount ruler of Yenaka, said, “We observe this situation with a growing sense of injustice. Justice that is delayed for over a decade, without a conclusive end, becomes an affront to the world’s most powerful nations.

He said, “A decade of international and domestic investigation has passed, yet the central fact remains: Chief (Mrs.) Diezani Alison-Madueke has not been convicted of any crime in Nigeria.

“The Atissa people are a patient people, but we are also a just people. Justice that is delayed for over a decade, without a conclusive end, becomes an affront to the dignity of the individual and the community they represent.

“Chief (Mrs)Diezani Alison-Madueke remains a cherished member of our royal lineage, and the dignity of the individual and the community they represent; she is a vital pillar of the Atissa Kingdom.

“It is time for this protracted separation to end, and for the records, do not forget she is a Princess who carried the Ijaw name with grace into the councils of chiefs.

“We speak today as elders and custodians of our people, our land, and our memory. In the Ijaw kingdom, elders do not rush to speak. We speak when silence would mean that truth,

experience, and balance are being lost. We speak when what we have seen with our own eyes is being forgotten.

“We, the Council of Traditional Rulers of Atissa Kingdom, custodians of the historic EpieAtissa Ijaw clans of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, issue this formal declaration to the Nigerian public and the international community.

“We speak as the traditional authorities of the land and as the guardians of the royal household of Chief (Mrs.) Diezani AlisonMadueke, a Princess of this Kingdom and a distinguished daughter of Ijawland.

“This statement is born of a deep sense of responsibility, historical truth, and an unwavering commitment to one of our own.

The People of Atissa Kingdom stand by their daughter.

“We do not forget the leader who facilitated the growth of our youth and the strengthening of our traditional institutions. We do not forget the Princess who carried the Ijaw name with grace into the councils of the world’s most powerful nations.

“We demand a fair and orderly conclusion to this ten-year chapter. We ask for a resolution that respects the dignity of our royal house and the rights of a Nigerian citizen who has served her country at its highest levels.”