SINCE 2012 when Henry Seriake Dickson was sworn in as the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, February 14 has been a special day for the people of the State. Being the day he took the oath of office during which he promised to rule Bayelsa State with honesty, love and care, people often look forward to the day, to celebrate his achievements and Valentine’s day.
This year’s celebration is unique and different for several
reasons. First, it is coming after the afterglow of the governor’s
well-deserved victory both at the polls and at the Supreme Court. Secondly,
this anniversary marks the end of his fifth year in office as the Governor of
Bayelsa State, just as it marks the anniversary of his first year in office for
his second tenure.
Also, this year’s celebration is remarkable for the number
of projects listed for commissioning. Planned to last for six days, according
to the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media Relations, Francis Agbo, the
commissioning will cover projects in various sectors including health,
education, roads and bridges. The projects are so many that they would have to
be commissioned in batches.
Compulsory education:
The foundation for the phenomenal successes recorded by the Dickson
administration was laid early in 2012. The Valentine Governor, as he is fondly
called by his political associates, had promised to regularly render account of
monies accruing to the State from the Federation account.
He followed it up
with an executive Bill, which was passed into law by the Bayesla State House of
Assembly. The law stipulates that the Governor of Bayelsa State must always
render account of all monies accruing to the State, including the Federation
account, to the people of the State. Governor Dickson is the only State Chief
executive who chose, through an Act of Parliament, to compulsorily render
account of monies accruing to the State.
Governor Dickson was also desirous of creating an enabling
environment for his development programmes by ensuring that politicians whether
in the ruling party or in the opposition, are given room to operate without
hindrance. He believed that only a turmoil-free political landscape could
guarantee the speedy growth and development of Bayelsa State. He therefore
liberalized the political space by allowing opposition politicians the freedom
to thrive. Even when members of the opposition party criticized him, he simply
laughed over it.
That was how he virtually eliminated political violence,
which was the rule in the state before he came to power. The height of that
political tolerance was seen in the build up to the 2015 general elections when
he made available to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and
President Muhammdu Buhari, the state owned Samson Siasia Stadium for their
campaign at great cost to his political career!
Thereafter, Governor Dickson embarked on what are now fondly
referred to as the legacy projects, in education, health, roads construction,
the hospitality industry, religion and industrialization. Education was his
first port of call. Having witnessed at close quarters how difficult it was for
Bayelsans to access education, he introduced free and compulsory education at
the primary and secondary school levels.
According to his Media department, the governor also spent about N40billion on education to
build over 30 first ever model boarding secondary schools in the 24 state constituencies,
as well as 400 primary schools with headmaster/staff quarters in many parts of
the state. In addition, government gave primary school pupils and secondary
school students free textbooks, uniforms, sandals, bags, and writing materials.
Government also picked the bills for students registering for WAEC, NECO, and
JAMB examinations. Part of the N40billion was spent on scholarships to enable
Bayelsans and other Ijo-speaking peoples study for graduate and post-graduate
degrees in some of the best of universities in Nigeria and the world.
Governor Dickson also tackled teacher education, which had
been neglected for many years due to inconsistent government policies. The
absence of training schools for teachers, he learnt, was responsible for the
fall in the standard of education in the country. To change the situation, he
established a Teachers’ Training Institute and equipped it with modern teaching
facilities for the training and re-training of teachers.
The deliberate efforts
to reposition education in the State have been so phenomenal that by 2014,
Bayelsa State became the fourth best- performing state with a pass rate of
52.83 per cent as 34, 242 students scored five credits and above, including
Mathematics and English in the West African Examinations Council results.
Quality health
facilities :
Governor Dickson also made dramatic changes in the health
sector, introducing health institutions that were thought impossible for the
State. His desire, as he often said, is to enable every Bayelsan have direct
access to quality health facilities.
It was in line with that resolution that
he built a referral hospital in the headquarters of each local government area.
He also built a Diagnostic Center in Yenagoa, which has been acclaimed as
world-class and one of the best in the country. Apart from a modern clinic that
is attached to Government House in Yenagoa, Governor Dickson also built a drug
mart, conceived to flush out fake drugs from the market!
The construction and rehabilitation of roads and bridges
also received the attention of the governor. It will be recalled that prior to
his emergence as Governor, Bayelsa was derisively described as a one-road
State. With his resolution to change the face of roads and bridges in the
State, it did not take long before Governor Dickson turned Bayelsa State into a
construction site with the construction of roads in various parts of the State.
Traffic gridlock :
Among the outstanding road projects are
the ring road, which allows the Yenagoa-bound visitors from Port
Harcourt to go through Igbogene, thus avoiding the hassles of traffic gridlock
in the capital city; construction of the first-ever flyover in Yenagoa, which
was named Restoration Flyover;
dualization of the Isaac Adaka Boro Express Way in Yenagoa into three lanes;
construction of the Ogobiri/Toru Ebeni bridge, which is the longest in the
state, connecting Sagbama with the
Southern Ijo local governments; and the construction of one major road in each
of the three Senatorial Districts in the State.
Industrial
sector:
To shore up the agricultural base and the industrial sector,
Governor Dickson established a commercial Cassava Starch Processing Factory in
Ebidebri, in Sagbama, which would create 30, 000 jobs when fully operational.
The government also built 500 fish ponds, which will engage about 700 youths.
An airport on the Wilberforce Island, Amassoma meant to open up the state and
make it a player in the Gulf of Guinea is under construction. Governor Dickson promoted
private sector participation in real estate by setting up the Bayelsa
Geographic Information System to simplify the issuance of Certificates of
Occupancy for land titles within 60 days of application.
. Governor Dickson often described Bayelsa as ‘‘the world’s
best kept secret.’’ The world appears to have discovered the State as it now
attracts major national and global events.
The most memorable events that have
taken place in Yenagoa are the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria contest, Miss
Century contest, the annual Nigeria Editors Conference, the annual Fashion
Festival, the African Movie Academy Awards, and the Global Jazz Festival.
Notable international figures, including Jesse Jackson, have been to Yenagoa to
savor its new flavor. So far, the Valentine Governor has lived his vision of
bringing the world to Bayelsa, and taking Bayelsa to the world and he can only
get better if he remains focused on the job!
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