Seriake-Dickson: Trajectory of a Transparency Advocate in Governance

Lawrence Olaoye writes about the pedigree of former Governor of Bayelsa state, Senator Seriake-Dickson, which recently earned him a Transparency in Leadership Award

It has been generally acknowledged that corruption is the bane of development in Nigeria. Successive administrations, especially at the federal level, has made efforts at taming the demon, but like an octopus, it has continuously to manifest in several ways.

Agencies such as the ICPC, EFCC, BPP, CCB and many others with affiliated mandate to check corruption were created at the central level but not much has been done to deal with the challenge at the sub-national.

One leader that has been able to understudy the challenge with a view to institutionalizing transparence at the state level is the former governor of Bayelsa state and current Senator representing Bayelsa-west Senatorial district at the 9th Assembly, Henry Seriake-Dickson

The former police officer turned lawyer and politician has consistently been one of the various anti-corruption crusader in the country.

On becoming the Governor of Bayelsa state in 2012, he realized the need to deal with corruption and had the opportunity of officially institutionalizing anti-corruption measures to deal with the malaise.

He ensured that the two other arms of government, Legislature and Judiciary, were severred from the apron string of the Executive by ensuring their independence.

The autonomy granted the Legislature and Judiciary was to enable the two arms of government carry out their duties without interference and promote checks and balances with separation of powers.

With this, the heads of the other arms of government in the state would not need to come cap in hand to the executive to get their dues.

To this extent, in order to ensure ease of governance and optimum transparency, the Henry Seriake-Dickson ‘Restoration Government’ signed the Financial Autonomy Bill and the Legislative Funds Management (Amendment) Bill 2019.

Many states have been bogged down with the challenge of inflated contracts and delivery of sub standard projects by their contractors. This challenge has consistently made states, including Bayelsa, to get less value for their money.

To address this and arrest the corruption in award and delivery of public contracts, the Restoration Team under Seriake-Dickson’s leadership created a Directorate for Project Monitoring and Evaluation Board charged with the responsibility of ensuring delivery of quality projects in the water logged state.

Today, edifices and signature projects conceived and delivered by the former governor, including the airport, have been attested to be of international quality and standard.

Seriake-Dickson became the governor of Bayelsa state at a time corruption in the civil service was working on four. He wasted no time by immediately embarking on Civil Service Reforms by setting up a verification committee which unearthed a widespread payroll fraud in the service.

The former governor incurred the wrath of the corrupt cabal in the state when he ordered that those indicted in the employment and salary scams be probed in order to instill sanity in the civil service. Loopholes were blocked and money recovered from the exercise were further invested in developmental projects and services in the state.

To set a new template in governance, Seriake-Dickson, on assumption of office in 2012 ensured the passage of the Transparency Law which enabled him to convene monthly Town Hall meeting where Bayelsans were briefed on how the statutory funds of the state were accounted for.

At the meeting, Bayelsans had the opportunity of listening to the state’s statement of accounts with details on how their resources were being disbursed. They equally had the opportunity to ask questions and demand clarifications from the governor.

The Transparency Law also ensured that all the the handling of the State and Local Governments Joint Accounts were transparently applied.

Unlike some other states where the state governor misapply local government fund, Seriake-Dickson’s Restoration Government ensured that the eight chairmen got their statutory allocations for the development of their local governments.

Aside this, the Seiake-Dickson’s government also set aside 15 percent of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state for distribution to the local governments to augment the development of the grassroots.

It is gladdening to note that Seriake-Dickson’s successor, Governor DouyeDiri, also a member of the Restoration Team, has continued the Transparency culture he inherited.

Diri’s resolve to continue in the transparency trajectory has further established the fact that the culture of good governance, initiated by the Restoration Team Leader, has come to stay in Bayelsa

Seriake-Dickson, who is evidently not given to ostentatious lifestyle, is down to earth, unassuming, friendly and always at home with the high and low in the society.

His humility and affable mien belies his acceptance even beyond the glamour of the Creek Haven.

It is on this note that the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizen Awareness, an amalgam of 90 Civil Society Organisations (NGOs) gave him the Transparency in Leadership Award.

Recall also that the management of African Independent Television (AIT) had in 2018 bestowed similar Transparency Award on him while still in office as Bayelsa governor.

These awards only confirmed Seriake-Dickson’s selflessness in service delivery and his thirst for the development of not only Bayelsa state, but Nigeria at large.

The people of Bayelsa West Senatorial Constituency would do well to return this nationalist to the Red Chamber for him to continue his crusade against corruption at the national level beyond 2023.

-Olaoye writes from Abuja