Henry Seriake Dickson


Henry Seriake Dickson CON is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He has been the Senator representing Bayelsa West senatorial District since 2020 in the 9th National Assembly and also from 2023 in the 10th Assembly. He was the governor of Bayelsa State from 14 February 2012 to 14 February 2020. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2007 until 2012.

Early life and education

Henry Seriake Dickson was born on 28 January 1966 in Toru-Orua Town of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. He is a descendant of the King Kapadia Royal House of Tarakiri Kingdom.
Dickson attended Kolobiriowei Primary School, Toru-Orua, from 1972 to 1978, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate and proceeded to Government Secondary School, Toru-Ebeni, in 1978 to 1983 where he got his West African School Certificate.
Dickson enrolled in the, Port Harcourt, to study law in 1988. He earned his LL.B in 1992. In 1993, he went on to earn his Bachelors in Law from the Nigerian Law School and was also called to the Nigerian Bar shortly thereafter.

Legal career

Henry Seriake Dickson joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1986. Upon his graduation from law school in 1993, he was appointed a cadet assistant superintendent of police in 1994, from where he proceeded to Nigeria Police Academy, Kano for Officer's Training. It was in the course of his training that he voluntarily resigned from the police force after nearly a decade of policing, to practice law.
As a lawyer, he worked with Serena David Dokubo & CO as an associate solicitor from 1994 to 1995 and moved to Aluko & Oyebode, a prominent law firm in Lagos, also as an associate solicitor, between 1995 and 1996. He founded Seriake Dickson & CO in Port Harcourt and later Yenagoa and became its managing solicitor from 1996 to 2006. He was elected pioneer publicity secretary, Nigerian Bar Association Yenagoa from 1996 to 1998.

Political career

Alliance for Democracy

Dickson began his political career as a member of Alliance for Democracy (AD) (Nigeria) and was elected as the Bayelsa State chapter chairman of the party from 1998 to 2000. The political party produced a senator representing Bayelsa West, a member of the House of Representatives representing Sagbama - Ekeremor Federal Constituency and three members of the State House of Assembly from Brass Local Government. After his tenure as chairman elapsed, he was elected national legal adviser of the Alliance for Democracy and served in that position between 2000 and 2002.

Attorney General of Bayelsa State (2006–2007)

In January 2006, Dickson was appointed the attorney-general and commissioner for justice of Bayelsa State by the then Governor, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR.
As attorney general, he was a member of the Body of Benchers, a member of the Council of Legal Education and vice chairman of the State Advisory Judicial Service Commission.

House of Representatives

Dickson was elected to the National Assembly's House of Representatives in 2007 and was appointed chairman, the House Committee on Justice and member of several committees including Defence, National Security, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs
In April 2011, he was elected for a second term; this election was the first time that someone in his constituency has done this. In his second term, he was appointed Chairman House Committee on Special Duties.
At the National Assembly, he sponsored/co-sponsored several bills, which include:
  • The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act Bill, 2009.
  • The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act Bill, 2009.
  • The Political PartiesBill, 2008.
  • The Constitution Alteration Bill, 2010.
  • The Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act Bill, 2009.
  • The Evidence Bill, 2009.
  • The Kidnapping and Hostage Taking Bill, 2009.
  • The Freedom of Information Bill, 2007.
  • The Court Ordered Elections Bill, 2008.
  • The Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2009.
  • Transmission of power by a President or Governor amendment Bill, 2010

Senate

On 5 December 2020, Dickson won the Bayelsa West Senatorial Bye-Election with over 80% of the total votes and was sworn in as Senator into the 9th Senate replacing Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo on 15 December 2020.
He won his re-election bid to the senate on 25 February 2023 and was named the chairman, of the Senate committee on ecology/ climate change of the 10th senate on 8 August 2023.
On 28 May 2023, Dickson was conferred with Commander of the Order of the Niger by Former President Buhari. Dickson was also awarded Excellence in Environmental Leadership Award 2023 by the Global Initiative for Climate and Environmental Sustenance in August 2023

Gubernatorial career

In the 2012 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election, the Independent National Electoral Commission reported that Henry Seriake Dickson won over 90% of the votes. They went on to say that this helped in "further strengthening the PDP's stronghold on power there since Jonathan became president."
Shortly after taking over gubernatorial duties, Dickson said that he was "painfully transiting to the executive arm of government." He indicated that he may return to the National Assembly someday.
Dickson was re-elected Governor of Bayelsa State in the 2015 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election. On 14 February 2020, Dickson officially handed over to Douye Diri as the Governor of Bayelsa State.

Key Legislation

While in office, Henry Seriake Dickson sent over 50 bills to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, BSHA, including the State Transparency Law, Thanksgiving Law and the Judicial Autonomy Law for which he has received commendations from the Attorney General of the Federation and the Honorable Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Governor Dickson enacted the Right to Education Law in Bayelsa which obliges parents, guardians of Children as well as the Government of the state to ensure that children are in schools up to the age of 18.

Education

For the first time in their history, Henry Seriake Dickson made education free and compulsory in Bayelsa State for students in primary and secondary schools. Dickson also Introduced compulsory boarding education and built 13 model boarding schools as none existed before, including the flagship Ijaw National Academy which has over 1,500 students on full scholarship, over 200 beneficiaries are drawn from Ijaw communities in five states of Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Ondo and Delta. Similarly, the boarding school system also covers the over 25 constituency secondary schools built by the Dickson administration.
Dickson has awarded scholarships to several hundreds and thousands of Masters and doctoral degree students in top class universities in the world, including the Lincoln University which produced Victor Perewari Pere, a student of Mathematics and Computer Science as the overall best graduating student and valedictorian of the school in the 2016/2017 session.
Dickson's massive investment in education paid off as the state which was once at the bottom in the ranking of secondary education in Nigeria, leaped to be among the top five leading states in the country.
The Dickson led Restoration government also established the University of Africa, Toru-Orua and the Bayelsa Medical University, Bayelsa State Polytechnic, Aleibiri and other non degree awarding tertiary institutions such as Bayelsa School of Agriculture, Bayelsa State Sports Academy Asoama, the first in Nigeria, The Bayelsa International Institute of Catering and Hospitality, Yenagoa, Bayelsa Driving School to take care of the teeming population of students in need of world class tertiary education. These institutions are affiliated to several world class universities.
The Government of Governor Dickson also made huge investments to upgrade the facilities and programs in the Delta University">Delta State">Delta University, the Bayelsa State College of Education as well as the Bayelsa State School of Nursing and Midwifery and Bayela State School of Health Technology of which they all have full accreditation from their respected regulatory bodies.
Governor Dickson by law established the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund, the first in the country, continuing a passion for education that has currently made Bayelsa the educational hub and epicenter of human capital development in Nigeria especially with the establishment of several institutions of learning.
Just like the Education Trust Fund, Governor Dickson introduced the Bayelsa State Student Loan board, backed by law to give loans to deserving Bayelsa students who require financial assistance to pursue their education with their certificates as collateral. Dickson says that this was done to ensure that every Bayelsa student has the opportunity to pursue their education without restrictions.
The establishment of the Bayelsa State Teachers Training and Certification Board backed by Law, another innovation to ensure the continuous training and retraining of all teachers in Bayelsa. The law provides for certification of teachers to be eligible to be employed for teaching in Bayelsa and that program has since commenced. These key policies as well as the legal framework have received commendation by the National Council on Education and has been recommended as the benchmark for revitalizing the educational sector by all states in Nigeria.
Governor Dickson built over 500 residential quarters for headmasters and teachers of primary schools in several rural communities to solve accommodation problems, Governor Dickson also built and renovated several primary schools. Audtors have revealed that Governor Dickson's restoration project spent over N80 billion in educational infrastructure in his 8 years as Governor of Bayelsa State.

Healthcare

Governor Dickson made unprecedented provisions of healthcare facilities in the state in line with his restoration agenda. He built the Bayelsa Diagnostics Centre, The Bayelsa State Forensics Centre and the Bayelsa Drug Mart to tackle incidents of fake drugs in the state both commissioned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He also built the fully equipped 100 bed Bayelsa Specialist Hospital which is renowned for its world class facilities and built 80 bed hospitals in Kaiama, Sagbama, Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw local governments. Governor Dickson also completely refurbished and equipped the general hospital in Brass. Governor Dickson's plan as part of his restoration agenda was to build a health centre and health workers' quarters in all 105 political wards in the state. He, however, completed this in 83 wards under the implementation of the Bayelsa State Primary Healthcare Board inaugurated by his administration. Governor Dickson also announced a special allowance for pregnant women who registered and attended antenatal in the state upon verification. Governor Dickson received wide recognition and praise for his work in the Maternal and Child Healthcare by several healthcare professional groups in Nigeria. By the end of his administration, there was a significant drop in maternal and infant mortality in Bayelsa State, from being one of the highest in the country to being the least in the South South.
Governor Dickson's legacy in healthcare is cemented in the establishment of Bayelsa State Health Insurance Scheme backed up by law which has become a reference point among health administrators in the country. The board runs one of the most successful health insurance schemes in Nigeria which has become a template for several health insurance programs of other states that visit Bayelsa to understudy the scheme. The scheme currently has over 100,000 beneficiaries, the scheme has also successfully funded 1,771 surgeries in Bayelsa since its establishment.

Economy

Governor Dickson expanded the Bayelsa State Economy which laid the foundation for bringing prosperity to Bayelsa people. Governor Dickson created the Bayelsa State Micro finance Bank, the first in Bayelsa known as Izon Ibe Microfinance Bank duly licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria with branches in every Local Government headquarters in the state. The purpose of the bank was for people in rural communities and MSES to be able to access loans. Governor Dickson built the largest Cassava processing plant in Nigeria to enable out-growers to have loans to plant cassavas that will feed the plant with cassavas. Governor Dickson also built a massive poultry and turned Bayelsa to the center of aquaculture taking advantage of its natural topography and history but with the current issues of river pollution which has largely affected a predominantly fishing people, Governor Dickson set up an Aquaculture Village in Yenegwe which has 500 ponds of 50 by 20 meters equipped with processing units, feed mills, storage facilities, processing plants, hatchery and other facilities such as cafeteria, school on an over 127 hectares of land. Several young people were trained in Songhai farm and a number of them have already began work at the fish ponds. A second aquaculture village sited at Igeibiri in Southern Ijaw will host 1000 ponds. Land for this purpose was acquired and cleared with Local Government Areas designated and discussions reached an advanced stage with the Central Bank on its NIRSAL supervised Anchor Borrowers Program. In addition, two mechanized fish farms were given to contractors to build, one in Ogbogero in Yenagoa LGA to an Israeli Firm, the second one in Angalabiri; which has been completed.
Governor Dickson signed a law declaring all land in Bayelsa as urban and subject to the Governor's Certificate of Occupancy to free up the wealth that has been frozen in the state by rural land owners. Dickson revolutionized the land administration system by computerizing land administration in Bayelsa. The Bayelsa Geographic Information Service established by law which guarantees that Certificate of Occupancy will be processed and presented within 30 days. Dickson's administration partnered with landlords to number all buildings and plots in the state capital to enable revenue collection and effective man management and administration.
Governor Dickson's biggest impact in the Bayelsa economy is perhaps driving the state's internal generated revenue from a meager ₦50 million per month in 2012 at the beginning of his administration to ₦1.2 billion per month as at the end of his administration through several economic reforms. In addition, he employed over 5000 young Bayelsa graduates into the civil service, and implemented policies to stop casualization of workers.

Infrastructure

Governor Dickson led an infrastructural revolution in the construction of several roads and bridges, but his biggest legacy however, is the starting and finishing of the ₦55 Billion Bayelsa International Airport which was commissioned and opened with an inaugural flight on the 15th of February, 2019. Governor Dickson started and finished several road and infrastructural projects including
• Completion of the Toru-Ebeni bridge project
• Completion of the Etegwe-Tombia-Amassoma Road with eight bridges
• Construction of the Bayelsa Central Senatorial Road project
• Construction of the Bayelsa West Senatorial Road project
• Yenagoa Restoration Flyover
• Dualization of the Road Safety Road
• Dualization of the Hospital Road
• Dualization of the Imiringi-Elebele Road
• Dualization of the Azikoro Road
• Dualization of the Diette Spiff Road
• Construction of four new secretariat annexes
• Dualization of the Isaac Boro Road
• Renovation of the Old State Secretariat
• New Government House Car Park
• Work on the Ogbia-Nembe Road
• The Agge Deep Seaport
• Rural electrification projects to link communities to the National Grid
• Completion of Transparency Plazas
• Construction of the New Governor and Deputy Governor's Office complex
• Construction of the Igbogene-GloryLand Drive
• New Okaka Low-Cost Housing Estate
• Construction of Boro Town
• Multi-Door Court House
• Rehabilitation/Upgrading of the Samson Siasia Stadium
• Construction of the Nembe City Sports Stadium
• Renovation/Remodeling Gabriel Okara Cultural centre
• Reconstruction of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council secretariat.

Civil Service Reforms

-Governor Dickson's administration dropped the civil service wage bill from a ridiculous ₦6.4 billion to about ₦3 billion, for the first time the Bayelsa civil service was purged of all wage bill and payroll fraud as well as fake employments. A regime of accountability and transparency was entrenched. This was a courageous move on his part, a feat dreaded by past administrations especially considering the fact that it did not promise any political credit. This move which threatened to make him unpopular was immediately justified as the Bayelsa State Civil Service was freed of Ghost workers which paved way for the employment of over 5000 young Bayelsa graduates. To further strengthen the Civil Service and encourage excellence in education, Governor Dickson announced automatic employment to every first class graduate of Bayelsa descent. This civil service reforms with the employments have now introduced fresh blood of young men and women will dedicate themselves to the service for the state for 35 years. The recruitment process was competitive, free from patronage and applicants were selected by merit alone. Governor Dickson initiated and signed into law a bill known as the Public Service Documentation and Records Agency, the first in Nigeria, with powers to handle proper documentation of personal and official records of all in the public service in the state from inception until date. A team of former Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries were put together for over a year to go through methodically the personal and public records of everyone in public service and streamline all the fraudulent emoluments hitherto drawn by civil service fraud syndicates. Governor Dickson was one of the supporters of increase in minimum wage and one of the first Nigerian Governor to implement and pay the new minimum wage before leaving office because of his belief that the Nigerian Worker is underpaid and deserves a better deal. This was one of his last actions before leaving office. He stood firmly against fraud and unprofessional ism in the state civil service and was renowned for rewarding hard work.

Women and Youth

Dickson pursued an empowerment of women and youth in Bayelsa which was unprecedented at the time. A high number of women and youths were given sensitive government positions at local councils and state level. At one time in his administration, all Vice Chairmen in the local councils in Bayelsa were women. Before the end of his tenure, Dickson implemented a special affirmative action that led to 40% of elected Councillors being women in the last local government council elections in June, 2019 superintended by him. Bayelsa had the highest number of female appointees in Government during his administration including Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Board Members and others. Governor Dickson recruited, sponsored and supported more women in elective offices in the State and National Assembly. A large percentage of youths were mentored, trained and given several sensitive positions at state and local government level creating sustainable manpower in the process and giving them a sense of direction and purpose. Governor Dickson set up the Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation which would further train and mentor young people in Bayelsa, Niger Delta and in Nigeria.

Environment

Protection and preservation of the environment Bayelsa State and the Niger delta which has suffered decades of unmitigated environmental degradation by the major oil companies operating in the areas has been a lifelong commitment and passion of Governor Dickson who devoted a lot of time and energy to raise the bar on environmental awareness and advocacy. He conducted scientific surveys which findings are outstanding, Dickson embarked on and sponsored awareness campaigns such as he Rise for Bayelsa campaign but his major legacy in environment was the conception and set up of the internationally acclaimed and first ever Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission chaired by the Archbishop of York Rt Honourable Dr John Sentamu with a high level panel of international experts and was inaugurated by Governor Dickson. The Commission of inquiry after painstaking hearings and visitations submitted an interim report to Governor Dickson in November 2019. The final report which is being compiled is expected to be submitted soon. The Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission is the first major step by any government of a state to highlight the well known issues of the environment, the impact on oil companies as well as the plight of indigenous people living in the communities. The Commission of Inquiry was made up of foreign experts, diplomats and forensic experts and chaired by Dr. John Sentamu Beyond the Governorship, Dickson continues to be a major voice in the environment and has made that one of the major concerns of the Henry Seriake Dickson foundation.

Security

Governor Dickson started his administration in 2012 by addressing the issues of security which had crippled the economic and social life in Bayelsa and led to an exodus of companies from the state. Governor Dickson set up operation Doo-Akpo which was approved by the President for a special contingent from the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja. The deployed Officers were trained and retrained at a special base set up for them and special allowances with daily feeding and medicare were also approved to motivate them. Governor Dickson also provided high tech vehicles and gunboats specially designed with communication devices. Governor Dickson also built the Bayesla State Command and Control centre named the General Owoye Azazi Building which is equipped with modern communication and security devices and a 911 Emergency and fully computerized distress call center which records calls and responses and ensures 4 minute response time. This initiative won Dickson several local and international awards on security as the most security conscious Governor. Governor Dickson also built special checkpoints around Yenegoa, the state capital and in other strategic locations in the state, he introduced a State Wide communication program linked to the Security Command and Control Room to communicate directly with all deployed security assets, vehicles and gunboats in any part of the state. Governor Dickson also introduced a special motorized patrol team as part of the Operation Doo-Akpo. Governor Dickson also set up the Bayelsa State Vigilante Service and strengthened the Bayelsa Volunteers to ensure that Youth and Community leaders were brought into the security architecture. Governor Dickson also built several facilities to support Law Enforcement in the state such as Police Divisions in Yenagoa and Sagbama, The Counter Terrorism Unit office and the Special protection unit, the Nigerian Army Engineering Regiment in Toru-Ora, The Nigerian Navy Base also in Toru-Ora, the only Naval presence between Warri and Onitsha. Dickson donated facilities for the take off of the Nigerian Regiment Training School, The SSS Training school and The Commando Training School. Governor Dickson also donated secondary schools to all Armed Forces present in the state. Governor Dickson also donated a building to serve as the headquarters of the Nigerian Civil Defence in Yenagoa. Bayelsa State was named the safest state in South South Nigeria by Police records during his administration.

Ijaw Nationalism and Integration

Governor Dickson promised during his campaigns and inaugural address an aggressive mobilization and defense of Ijaw people split into the 6 states in Nigeria. He christened Bayelsa as the Jerusalem of the ijaw nation, a description that eventually stuck. He created the ministry of Ijaw national affairs and appointed the first non Bayelsa commissioner cabinet member from Delta state, the first president of Ijaw Youth Congress as pioneers to head the new ministry and several appointees numbering over 100 from across states of Ijaw origins across the south south. Scholarships and employment opportunities were also available to them. Governor Dickson in the midst of unfair national criticism established by law the Bayelsa state flag, coat of arms and an anthem or state song and insisted it was an inherent exercise of the federalist powers of the state, an argument that eventually ended the debate. Today the Bayelsa colors and coat of arms have stayed as an integral part of Bayelsa-Ijaw identity with Governor Dickson saying it is an important aspect of cultural identity. He also made Bayelsa the center of gravity of Niger Delta issues as well as the natural place to host meetings of geo-ethnic nationalities and platforms seeking equality in Nigeria. This is reflected in the set up of the flagship Ijaw National Academy by Governor Dickson which has over 1,500 students on full scholarship with beneficiaries drawn from Ijaw communities in six states of Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Ondo and Delta. Governor Dickson built and commissioned the Ijaw National Heroes Memorial Park to honour Ijaw people who have excelled in public service to Nigeria while advancing the Ijaw struggle. In May, 2013, Dickson brought back the remains of Late Major Isaac Adaka Boro to Bayelsa to be buried and a befitting mausoleum was built in his memory. Late General Owoye Andrew Azazi, Ijaw Nation's first 4 star Military General who served Nigeria as one time Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defense Staff and National Security Adviser was also buried at the park and has a mausoleum built in his memory. Other prominent Ijaw icons who have been laid to rest or have mausoleums built to honor them at the Ijaw National Heroes Park are Chief Melford Okilo, Harold Dappa Biriye, Gabriel Okara, Rex Jim Lawson, Rear Admiral Bossman Soroh, Ernest Okoli, Reverend Ockiya, the first man to translate the Bible in to Nembe Language and other associates of Major Isaac Adaka Boro. Governor Dickson set up a historical committee, Ijaw History project, coordinated by a State Historian to oversee and determine those eligible to be immortalized at the Ijaw National Heroes Memorial Park.

Promotion of Religion

Governor Dickson is an ardent practicing Christian and is known to popularly use the quote "He serveth God well, who serveth man". Dickson says his faith is the basis for his life and political service and that the whole essence of his political career is anchored on the statement "Service to man is service to God". This statement is engraved on the emblems of the two Universities he established as Governor, The University of Africa and the Bayelsa Medical University. Governor Dickson's administration began with a statewide fasting and prayer in 2012 and the first bill he sent to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly was to proclaim a Bayelsa State Thanksgiving Law, the only state in Nigeria to do so as at the time. This bill gave birth to November 2as the official Thanksgiving Day and a public holiday in Bayelsa State, this has held for 8 years of his administration. Governor Dickson started a daily morning devotional service in the Bayelsa State Government House and never missed a service. He also instituted weekly prayers for all Women in the state every Wednesday which was chaired and coordinated by his wife and first lady of Bayelsa State, Rachael Dickson. Governor Dickson started a monthly praise night which he never missed throughout his 8 years in office. All these religious precepts he instituted are still being practiced in Bayelsa state as a part of the religious culture. Governor Dickson built the 10,000 seating capacity Bayelsa State Ecumenical Center, the largest by any state Government in Nigeria which was commissioned by Pastor E. A. Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in the presence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The Ecumenical Center currently serves as the quarters of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Bayelsa Branch and is managed by a Dickson-inaugurated board set up by law to manage it. Governor Dickson also approved an office space in the Ecumenical Center for Nigeria Prays led by General Yakubu Gowon. Governor Dickson maintained an open mindedness by showing tolerance to religious persuasions other than Christianity.