FORMER Bayelsa State governor, Dr Diepreye Alamieyeseigha yesterday returned home to a rousing welcome in Yenegoa, the state capital and his hometown, Amassoma. The former governor prayed for forgiveness for his enemies, just as he said God had forgiven him.

During a courtesy call on Governor Timipre Sylva at Government House shortly after his arrival, Alamieyeseigha thanked God for being alive.

At a civic reception in Amassoma, he apologised to all that he might have offended knowingly or unknowingly. While pledging his loyalty to the Nigerian State, the former governor however said he would continue to fight for the Ijaw cause.

Alamieyeseigha, who was incarcerated for over eight months in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud and money laundering charges, was overwhelmed by the large crowd that gathered to welcome him back home after his ordeal. He thanked the people for what he called the show of love and support.

Flanked by former Senate President Adulphus Wabara, Alliance for Democracy (AD) presidential candidate in the last election, Chief Pere Ajuwa and former Speaker of the state House of Assembly Boyelayefa Debekeme, Alamieyeseigha praised President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and Vice President Goodluck Jonathan for their efforts at moving Nigeria forward.

He commended the President for listing the development of the Niger Delta on his seven-point agenda and pledged to work assiduously towards the attainment of peace, stability and justice in the country.

Alamieyeseigha said he had forgiven all those who must have contributed one way or the order to his removal as governor, insisting that he had resolved to put behind him all that had happened in the past and approach life with a new and the fear of God.

To this end, he said: " I equally have a covenant with God to forgive and forget all persons who might have hurt me knowingly or unknowingly just as I have obtained forgiveness from the creator over my own failings. The difficulties of the past months have only underscored our fallibility as human beings and brought to the fore, the need for a spiritual rebirth. It was a period of intense cogitation during which I went through spiritual soul searching and rejuvenation, which have brought me much closer to the creator."

According to him, what transpired over the last two years was ordained by God but that while in his sick bed, he had made a covenant with God, to give him the strength and the wisdom to selflessly serve Nigeria.

Alamieyeseigha said there was hardly any endeavour more glorious than serving one's people and country. "As I emerge from the dungeons, I do so with a renewed sense of responsibility and dedication," he said. "This is no time for recriminations, of unnecessary brooding over developments that we as humans have no control over."

He lamented that the Niger Delta had become embroiled in an orgy of violence and rebellion, in which precious lives were being lost while kidnappings, hostage taking, oil pipeline vandalisation among other socio-economic vices, were the order of the day.

Reiterating that the set back in the Niger Delta region was the fallout of many years of resource exploitation and abject neglect of the rights and welfare of the people, the former governor blamed both the rich multinational oil companies and previous governments for such neglect.

According to him, the crystallization of the Niger Delta crisis into a national problem could have been avoided if proper measures had been taken to provide basic amenities in the area.

In his speech, chairman of the occasion and presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the last general elections, Chief Pere Ajuwa said the 'spirits of the Ijaw" were behind Alamieyesegha, stressing that the Ijaw would continue to agitate for their rights until justice was done to them. "We will not hand it over to anybody. God in heaven will see to it that we don't hand it over to anybody," Ajuwa declared.

Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara said he had come as representative of his people to welcome Chief Alamieyeseigha. " I am sure that if by tomorrow this event is aired, most Nigerians, particularly the dark ones, will be shocked by the rousing welcome Alamieyeseigha received," he observed.

In a welcome address read by one time commissioner for Finance, Mr Solomon Apreala the Amassoma community described Alamieyeseigha as a great son and the day as a memorable one.

Alamieyeseigha, who had earlier been received by Governor Timipre Sylva at the Government House was received by an unprecedented crowd at Amassoma for the event which was billed for 2pm but started at about 5.30pm.