Why Bayelsa West Votes H.E. Dickson As Senator Ahead of Bye-elections

▪▪He is the Most Experienced & Dynamic Leader

TRACKING____The Nigerian Senate is a place which parades experienced technocrats, leaders and Statesmen. A good Senator is a man of eloquence, who can supply the oratorical
gloss to finished legislation during floor debates. Most successful Senators are people who cultivate the legal skills that make him a superb craftsman behind committee doors.

In the United States of America, there appears to be a consensus that lawyers make the best Senators since most of the technical issues bother on making laws in tandem with the ideals of civilized values.

A quality Senator is a man imbued with incredibke energy, eloquence, wit, good humour, intelligence, frankness and honour.The immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson has all these qualities and more.

As a two-time Governor, he understands the challenges and the issues at the national level. He is better positioned to address them, using the instrumentality of law making.

In particular, the former Governor of Bayelsa State was adjudged the best Reps member in the Niger Delta, having initiated more bills, moved more motions and Chaired more Committees than any other person.

His Excellency, Hon. Seriake Dickson has displayed immense legislative prowess even
before he became Governor of Bayelsa State.

He was elected pioneer Publicity Secretary, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Yenagoa from 1996 to 1998. He was elected the State Chairman, Alliance for Democracy (AD) 1998 to 2000 where he led the party to victory, producing the 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.

These victories stand out because they were the most outstanding accomplishments recorded by the AD outside the South West at the time.

In recognition of the achievements, he was elected National Legal Adviser of the Alliance for Democracy and served in that position between 2000 and 2002. He was equally 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. He became a member of the National, Executive Committee (NEC), Nigeria Bar Association between 2004 and 2006.

He was also the founding Secretary of the Great Committee of Friends (The Green Movement) in 2005. The Green Movement was and remains a notable political tendency of patriotic and committed Bayelsans, desirous of development.

In January 2006, Dickson was appointed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Bayelsa State (2006 to 2007) by the then Governor, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, who was to become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

As Attorney General, he was a member of the Body of Benchers, member, Council of Legal
Education and Vice Chairman of the State Advisory Judicial Service Commission, amongst others.

Consistent with his attitude of impacting positively, he initiated a lot of lasting reforms in such areas as the welfare of judicial personnel, employment of law graduates as state counsels, and creation of departments and agencies to streamline the work of the ministry.

Two reforms he initiated and outstanding till date were the first and only publication of the laws of Bayelsa State and the appointment of state counsels to undertake prosecution of criminal cases in Magistrate Courts across the state thereby freeing the police from that task for which the state and national Bar Associations wrote letters of appreciation and commendation. These accomplishments are cited in legal circles till today. It is to Governor Dickson’s credit that holding charges have been expunged from the administrative and justice system of Bayelsa State.

As a result of the positive impact he made on the people and based on his long years of committed service to the state and the Ijaw nation at large, Dickson was elected in 2007 as member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State in the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abuja.

In the House, it soon became obvious that you can not hide a lamp under a bushel as he was
appointed Chairman, House Committee on Justice and member of several committees including Defence, National Security, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs etc.

He effectively represented his people, kept the executive on its toes through oversight functions, moved critical motions on the floor and brought serious national issues to the front burner of the Green Chamber. As the Chairman, House Committee on Justice, he had responsibility of leading oversight on the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, the Nigerian Law school, Legal Aid Council and also the Law Reform Commission and treaty obligations of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as human rights issues. In all of these, he carried out his responsibilities with dedication and patriotism.

Back home in his constituency, the people were full of admiration for his work and returned him to the House of Representatives in April 2011 where he now chaired the House Committee on Special Duties.

At the National Assembly, he sponsored/co- sponsored several bills, which include:

▪The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2009.

▪The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2009.

▪The Political Parties(Internal Democracy)Bill, 2008.

▪The Constitution Alteration Bill, 2010.

▪The Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act (Amendment) Bill, 2009.

▪The Evidence Bill, 2009.

▪The Kidnapping and Hostage Taking (Prohibition) Bill, 2009.

▪He also played a prominent role in the enactment of the following bills:

▪The Freedom of Information Bill, 2007.

▪The Court Ordered Elections (Streamlining of Tenure of Office) Bill, 2008.

▪The Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2009.
Transmission of power by a President or Governor amendment Bill (section 145), 2010

One of Honourable H.S Dickson’s most important efforts at the National Assembly was the amendment of the Evidence Act, 2009, the first ever of such amendment since 1954.

Many of the bills he spearheaded or made critical inputs into provided the framework for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution and Electoral Act.

Against the backdrop of these achievements, stakeholders including youth groups and women alike have thrown their weight behind H.E. Dickson as the next Senator to represent Bayelsa West Senatorial District at the National Assembly.

The choice of Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson is predicated on his vast experience and robust contributions to National issues, including his advocacy for restructuring.

Since 1999, he is the only person who has broken the jinx as the only two-time Governor of Bayelsa State. On account of his dynamism and excellence in Statecraft, Bayelsans across partisan boundaries have built a concrete wall of support around him.

For some Bayelsans, his ambition to the Senate should be automatic without opposition. The general consensus is that former Governor Dickson has served community, State and the Ijaw Nation and compensating him with the Senatorial seat is one way of appreciating service in the Ijaw Nation.