Profile
Seriake Henry Dickson is a Nigerian politician born on the 28th of January 1966 in Toru-Orua Town of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. He is the former Governor of Bayelsa State from 14th February 2012 to 14th February 2020. He was also a member of the House of Representatives from 2007 until 2012. He is currently the senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly.
Personal Life
Governor Seriake is married to two wives. The second and First Lady is Her Excellency, Rachael Seriake Dickson. Their marriage is blessed with a set of quadruplets, three girls and a boy. Seriake Henry is a descendant of the King Kpadia Royal House of Tarakiri Kingdom.
Education
S/N | Name of School | Degree | Year |
1 | Rivers State University of Science & Technology | Law | 1988 |
2 | Nigerian Law School | Bachelors in Law | 1993 |
Work History
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Toru-Orua Town of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
28 January 1966
Bayelsa State
People’s Democratic Party
Christianity
Governor
info@governorgodwinobaseki.com
Political History
- Seriake Henry Dickson was elected to the National Assembly’s House of Representatives in 2007. In April 2011, he was elected for a second term; making it the first time that someone in his constituency has done this.
- Dickson assumed his role as Governor of Bayelsa State on 14 February 2012. The Independent National Electoral Commission reported that Seriake Henry Dickson won over 90% of the votes. They went on to say that this helped in “further strengthening the PDP’s stranglehold on power there since Jonathan became president.”
Leadership Style/Philosophy
Awards & Honours
- Olokodau of Orua
- Adaka the 1st of Kolokoma/Opokuma
- Edi 1 of Ogbia,
- Twon-Ibe Toloumobo of Brass
- Okuta, Rock of Ijaw Nation,
- Ekwueme 1 of Ndi-Igbo (Bayelsa),
- Agurai of Tarakiri Kingdom,
- Ogbogbo Olotu of Oguan,
- Tarikekereowei of Alei Kingdom,
- Opu Okiziri of Kabowei, Bayelsa State,
- Edi 1 of Ogbia, Ebifiniowei 1 of Kumbowei Kingdom, Delta State.
- Oyi Ihotu K’ Idoma, Benue State
- Henry Seriake Dickson also holds several honorary doctorate degrees, including:
- An honorary doctorate degree in public administration by Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti in 2016
- A doctorate degree in international relations from the Maryam Abacha American University, Maradi in the Niger Republic.
- An honorary doctorate degree in environmental management from Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH) was conferred on him in November 2017.
- Several Media organisations have voted for Henry Seriake Dickson as Governor of the year during his time in office and honoured him with several awards including
- Vanguard Newspaper Governor of the Year, 2018
- Leadership Governor of the year, 2018.
- The Sun Outstanding Politician of the year, 2018.
- Daily Telegraph Award for Good Governance, 2018
- Daily Independent Man of the Year, 2019
- Nigerian Pilot Man of the year, 2019
- Africa Independent Television Transparency Award, 2018
- Silverbird Television Award as the best-performing state Governor in Nigeria in the education sector, 2018
- Henry Seriake Dickson is an honorary citizen of the States of Georgia and South Carolina in the United States of America. He was presented a key to the city of Stonecrest, Georgia, as well as a humanitarian award by Trinity International University of Ambassadors, the USA in 2017
Other Notable Achievements
- Henry Seriake Dickson, was elected National Legal Adviser of the foremost Pan-Ijaw Socio-Cultural and Political group, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and served between 2001 and 2003
- Became a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), Nigeria Bar Association between 2004 and 2006.
- Henry Seriake Dickson is a member of the Governing Board of Visitors to Lincoln University (Pennsylvania), the United States
- He is a Member of the Westminster Africa Business Group, UK House of Parliament.
- He is a member of the International Bar Association
- He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (United Kingdom) Nigerian Chapter.
- He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation o
Project
Healthcare
- Governor Dickson made unprecedented provisions of healthcare facilities in Bayelsa state. He built the Bayelsa Diagnostics Centre, 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.
- He received wide recognition and praise for his work in 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.
Education
- 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.[3] Similarly, the boarding school system also covers the over 25 constituency secondary schools built by the Dickson administration.[
- Dickson has awarded scholarships to several hundred and thousands of Masters and doctoral degree students in top-class universities in the world, including 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.
Others
- 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 (Dualization) 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
Criticism/Controversy
In August 2021, EFCC grills ex-Bayelsa Gov. Seriake Dickson over Corruption Allegations