Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was proud of his ancestry. At no time was this more evident than the days leading up to the burial of his venerable father, Salo Memein Alamieyeseigha, the famous tiger killer. Seated in his palatial home in the heart of Yenagoa, the Governor-General was only too ready to trace his origins for the world to know.
His father, he would gladly say, was a man with an all-round experience in the primary occupations of his time. Salo Alamieyeseigha was skilful in everything he did, and every venture he embarked upon bore visible fruit. There was no kind of work, no gainful enterprise that an Ijaw man found worthy to engage in, that Salo did not undertake.
Salo’s mother, Caroline, was a slave girl of Isoko stock. Better known by the name of Akoko, she was bought by Pedefa, Salo’s grandmother, a reputable farmer and wealthy entrepreneur. She was small in size, and too young to remember her village when she was brought to Amassoma.
Believed to have been born in 1895, Caroline was reared in Adule’s compound in Amassoma until she was old enough to marry. Being a disciplined, cheerful, humble and hard-working young woman, Caroline promptly won the heart of Memein Alamieyeseigha, and became his young wife.
The marital union was blessed with four sons, namely Salo, Ati, Aguru and Oweikeme. Not only did the young mother indoctrinate her children with the virtues of hardwork, she ensured that honesty and truthfulness were always upheld in the family.
Caroline Memein Alamieyeseigha, fondly called Ma Caro, was good-natured and she brought up her children in like manner. She endeared herself to her family by her constant show of love, care and readiness to give useful advice. Her grandchildren loved her all the more for her extra-motherly devotion to them. For even when she kept a strict face, her reprimand was given in love and concern for the future of her brood.
This cheerful and peace-loving woman was also a great singer, an exemplary housewife, a devout Christian, and a leader of her fellow women. She understood the importance of education and encouraged members of her family to enrol in school. Not only was she a great farmer, she was also a fishing magnate whose business prowess manifested in the success story of her children.
Caroline became a trusted custodian of the history and tradition of Amassoma people. Ma Caro was popular in Amassoma and that was because she radiated genuine affection, and was generous to a fault. What belonged to her was for all to share. She was always willing to give a helping hand to whoever sought her assistance. Whenever anyone knocked on her kitchen door, they were sure of something to fill their stomach.
Ma Caroline Memein Alamieyeseigha passed away peacefully on 19 May 2000, at the ripe age of 105 years. She was one of those rare people who were blessed enough to see three centuries, having been born in one, lived through another, and witnessed the dawn of yet another. Her remains were laid to rest on Saturday, 27 May 2000, in Amassoma.
Pedefa’s marriage to the patriarch, Alamieyeseigha, yielded one offspring, an only son called Memein, who in turn married Caro and gave birth to Salo. On his part, Salo married four wives. After two girls from his first wife, Salo was overjoyed to have his first son, Diepreye, from his second wife. He went on to have nine more sons and 15 daughters in all.
Salo Alamieyeseigha was familiar with the waters around Igbele-Oba, the creeks of Agadagba-Bou and the marshy terrain of Asiasia where he went fishing often. He would row out to sea at dawn, cast his net, and return with an impressive haulage. He hacked at the base of heavy trees in the forest until he got a log long and wide enough for him to carve out a canoe.
He embarked on regular hunting missions, and never failed to return home with game. Perhaps his most dramatic hunting adventure came to him the day he and his friend, Johnson, were confronted by a tiger in the wild bush of Wilberforce Island.
Salo was carrying a dane gun, and that was all the weapon he needed. He aimed the gun at the beast as it roared at him with bare fangs, and brought it down with one thunderous blast. Salo’s fame spread from that day beyond Amassoma, and beyond Ogboin clan.
Salo was more at home in Amassoma, but his occasional trips to Port Harcourt and Lagos made a great impact on him. By the same token, his visit to London and South Africa in later years proved to be eye-opening experiences for the man whose first son became a key proponent of resource control and self-determination in the Niger Delta.
Although he began life as a traditionalist, Salo became a fervent Christian in his last days. His most transcendental experience as a believer was when he went on pilgrimage to Israel. Everything he had learnt in church from his youth, and the Bible stories that had been recounted to him at the Greater Evangelism World Ministries took on a larger meaning when he actually walked the footpaths of Jesus Christ.
Salo Memein Alamieyeseigha meant a lot to so many people. His wise counsel counted much with his first son, who in turn drew great strength and inspiration from his father, even in the heydays of the Alamieyeseigha administration. He was always willing to give and to share.
Salo was so independent-minded and such a self-respecting gentleman that he never went out of his way to pester his famous son for attention. He kept his visits short, and his time measured. He received whatever came to him with gratitude, and returned to manage his large family in Amassoma. Salo never lost his focus in the face of any rough experience.
He was a peace-loving and law-abiding citizen of Nigeria, always orderly in his dealings, and blessed with a remarkable ability to hold his emotions in check. He never came to blows with anyone, yet he bluntly put across his point at all times.
Salo, in short, had great strength of character. His authority oozed out of him without any conscious effort on his part. He wielded a strong, commanding voice, and his heavy footfalls served to confirm his venerable carriage.
He was also a proven manager of resources, an ability that may be seen in his far-reaching mediation at the home front between his four wives, their children and their grand-children. It is to his sustained credit that the family was devoid of acrimony, hatred or discrimination. On the contrary, he provided a rallying ground for unity in the household.
Salo was a caring and thoughtful father who made sure that none of his children looked outside for their daily bread. He provided what he could. Even though he did not sit in a classroom all his life, he demonstrated a clear passion for education, insisting that his children should go to school, and praying for them to come out in brilliant colours.
Born on 16 March 1921, at Amassoma, Salo Memein Alamieyeseigha died in the late hours of Sunday, 16 March 2014, after ninety-three eventful years. He was survived by two wives, twenty-five children, one hundred and fifteen grand-children and four great grand-children. The remains of the tiger killer were committed to earth on Saturday, 26 April 2014, in his hometown, Amassoma.
