Senator Dickson hosts social media influencers and presents the Senate Committee on Ecology & Climate Change with a bold vision.
Earlier today, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa and currently serving as the senator for the Bayelsa West senatorial district, welcomed social media experts from all over the country to a media event to discuss his new position as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
At the media event, Senator Dickson highlighted his noteworthy achievements in Bayelsa, highlighting the recent Excellence in Environmental Leadership Award for his outstanding contributions to environmental issues as well. This prestigious award was bestowed on him by a coalition of 20 non-governmental organizations.
Additionally, Senator Dickson’s accomplishments include improvements in Education, such as the founding of the Ijaw National Academy in Kaiama, the implementation of the Bayelsa Health Insurance program, and his initiatives that resulted in a decrease in the rates of maternal and infant mortality. Notably, his support for expectant women registered with the state government played an important role. Under his leadership, the introduction of free boarding schools revolutionized the education system.
Over 80 primary health facilities were built as a result of Governor Dickson’s focus on healthcare infrastructure, ensuring that high-quality healthcare can be found in even the most distant areas of the state. These institutions have developed into vital hubs for offering Bayelsans essential medical services and preventative care, making healthcare dependable and accessible.
Under Governor Dickson’s leadership, the infrastructure of Bayelsa saw a genuinely spectacular change. Along with improving connectivity, the Bayelsa International Airport’s development has created new opportunities for business expansion and tourism. Additionally, his dedication to increasing the civil service’s effectiveness simplified governance, resulting in greater service delivery.
Governor Dickson’s competence in economic management was clear from the phenomenal rise in the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state. Under his direction, the IGR increased dramatically from a modest monthly amount of 60 million Naira to an astounding total of more than one billion Naira. This accomplishment is the result of his strategic planning and efficient income-creation techniques.
In order to fight crime and guarantee citizen safety, Governor Dickson established the state security organization, “tion Doo Akpo,” and outfitted it with cutting-edge security technology.
He also continued to encourage education by providing scholarships, enabling Bayelsa’s greatest brains to pursue further education. Additionally, he shows his dedication to developing local talent and supporting growth by making the effort to provide first-class graduates with immediate employment.
His accomplishments also include the development of multiple secondary and postsecondary institutions, as well as a sizable cassava processing plant.
You may recall that Senator Dickson received the Excellence in Environmental Leadership Award from Celestine Okwudili, who attended the ceremony in place of Mrs. Ene Obi of Action Aid.
While serving as Governor of Bayelsa State from 2012 to 2020, Okwudili said that the Senator’s achievements and stewardship in maintaining a healthy environment earned him the prize.
He said that the Senator appointed the International Commission on Oil Spills to analyze environmental harm, establish liability, and create a new legislative framework for accountability and compensation in the area during his time as governor.
In his remarks at the event, Dickson stated that a panel he appointed as governor collected blood samples from locals in oil-producing areas, and that following testing, it was found that they were poisoned with heavy metals.
Dickson claimed that once he alerted the major oil companies to the situation, they began to oppose him rather than take action.
Even as he drew his successor’s attention to the unpleasant circumstance and requested that he take action, he bemoaned the fact that the scenario was still happening.
The oil firms at the time weren’t working with me, he claimed. They were even battling me, but I didn’t care since I knew I was taking the high road.
He also described how he enlisted 250 graduates to save the environment, particularly the riches found in forests.
The senator urged the federal government to take notice of the careless deforestation occurring all throughout the nation.
The senator pledged to work with all important stakeholders on the environmental issue by utilizing his new role as chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
He promised to promote environmental, ecological, and climate change causes on all platforms at his disposal.
“As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, I would collaborate with all NGOs in Nigeria and support the initiatives of all organizations and groups to promote environmental causes, in particular, to join the fight against climate change.
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