King Alfred Papapereye Diete- Spiff, a Navy commander, was the first Military Governor of Rivers State. At age 24, he became the first naval officer to be appointed a Governor and served for nine (9) years, from May 27, 1967, to July 1975.
As the pioneer Governor, King Diete-Spiff was saddled with laying the foundation and building the State from scratch. An intelligent, hardworking and visionary patriot, he discharged these responsibilities with distinction.
He put together the most cerebral and progressive cabinet ever in the State’s history, to help him achieve his bold and ambitious development plan for the new State. His ingenuity created in Rivers State, developmental strides in Agriculture, Banking, Finance, Insurance, Commerce, Industry, Trade, Education, Human Development, Housing, Urban Development, Hotels, Tourism, Information, Culture, Infrastructure, Judiciary, Recreation Opportunities, Sports, Transportation and Investment hub, among others.
King Alfred built the Rivers State Civil Service from inception with an impressive State Secretariat Complex consisting of six, nine-story, high rise buildings, including the Podium Block and the 17 story, high Point Block building, which is still the tallest building South-South and South-East of Nigeria.
In addition, King Alfred built the Rivers State Sports Complex, which Houses the Sharks Football Stadium, Olympic-Size Swimming Pool, the Multi-Purpose Hall, Training Courts and Gyms for Handball, Lawn Tennis, Squash, Badminton, Boxing, Wrestling, Taekwondo, and other Sports.
Furthermore, he built the now defunct Olympia Hotel, Presidential Housing Estate, the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation, AM station, Catering Rest Houses and General Hospitals in the major towns and local government headquarters of the state.
King Alfred was equally outstanding in the area of Education. He established the Rivers State College of Science and Technology (now Rivers State University), the School of Nursing and Midwifery, the Rivers State College of Education (Ignatius Ajuru University of Education), and the Rivers State School of Health Technology.
Understanding the importance of manpower development, he awarded foreign and local scholarships to hundreds of Rivers State sons and daughters to further their education. In-office, he pursued an industrialisation schema and established several state-owned companies, including the West African Glass Industry, Pabod Breweries Company Limited, Rivers State Vegetable Oil Company, Pabod Finance and Investment Company Limited, Risonpalm (Siat Limited), Eastern Iron Wrought Industries Limited, Metroplastica and Supabod Stores, the New Layout Market and the Port Harcourt Zoological Park, among others. He also started work on the Liberation Stadium (now General Yakubu Gowon Stadium).
Indeed, King Diete-Spiff was so outstanding that he is still revered by the people of Nigeria and Rivers State for laying the solid developmental foundation which successive administrators and governors have continued to leverage on.
Crowned and recognized as King in 1978, His Royal Majesty King Alfred Papapereye Diete-Spiff, the Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass Kingdom, is the chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council. He served in the 2005 Confab Committee on Models and Structures of Government; he is the Chairman of Citres, INC (Ijaw National Congress), National Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Association of Auctioneers, Member, National Political Reform Conference, National Think – Tank, South-South People Assembly (SSPA), among others.
King Alfred is the Chancellor Novena University, Ogume, Delta State, Chancellor Bayero University, Kano and most recently, Chancellor, Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, as well as Trustee of many organisations.
He established the first private school in Rivers State- Bereton College, now Titare Star Royal Academy, Rivers State.
His works have attracted several recognitions among which are awards for outstanding contribution to tourism in Nigeria, distinctive achievements, leadership, and contribution to the cause of humanity, crown ambassador of peace, Nigeria National Merit Award, Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), among others. King Alfred Diete Spiff is indeed, an elder statesman of note in Nigeria and beyond.
King Alfred is an uncommon patriot that has devoted his entire life to the service of Nigeria and humanity. He is the King of Twon-Brass Kingdom, a community on Brass Island in the Brass Local Government Area in the Nun River estuary of Southern Bayelsa State in Nigeria.
His Excellency, His Eminence, the Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass Kingdom, is the son of Claude Amange Diete-Spiff. He is married to Her Majesty, Dr. (Barr) Josephine Diete-Spiff. JP, a multi-discipline educationist with numerous awards.
The family is blessed with Children.
We celebrate and salute the worthy pioneer Governor of Rivers State, the esteemed King of Twon-Brass Kingdom. A born Leader, a Monarch, an Elder Statesman; a Navigator, an Arbitrator, a Pilot, Sailor, Diver Educationist, Consultant, Industrialist, Mediator, Conciliator, Arbitrator and Sportsman per excellence, His Eminence, Excellency, Royal Majesty, Dr Alfred Papapereye Diete-Spiff, OFR, DF, JP, Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass Kingdom, SERIYAL II, as he walks into the last year of his Septuagenarian era. On this auspicious day of His Birth, we wish this distinguished royalty and history maker more fruitful years ahead.
The world celebrates a King with a heart of gold who has exhibited selfless and visionary service towards the growth and wellbeing of Nigerians and Bayesians all over the world.
A King in his shining amour remains an enigma wrapped up in a jig-saw puzzle—as orchestrated by fate.
Happy Birthday to a worthy King! Many Happy Cheers and Congratulations Your Eminence and God’s continual blessings!
