Senator Dickson Is Champion Of Human Capital Development

When Bayelsa State was created in 1996, the formulation for aggressive educational pursuits was laid but about 13 years after the lamp of that glorious foundation had started to dim so catastrophically that all the indicia of educational such as teacher-pupil ratio, completion rate; enrolment rate, infrastructure and teacher motivation showed negative. The bad statistics were so horrifying that the success rate of schools began to diminish fast. This situation was not acceptable.

In 2012, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson was sworn-in to office on February 4, 2012. Part of his insugural ceremony contained a pronouncement on “Free Basic Education”. Uniforms were made, and schools were declared tuition free. The free education policy brought back the fast fading glory of basic education in the State.

Added to this achievement was the building of three model schools per Local Government Area. The schools were transformed into centres of excellence. Today, all the model schools feed the students free. This was the legacy Dickson left behind for the “prosperity administration”

Senator Dickson meditated on the need to establish a citadel of leadership training and academic excellence. This was to fill the chasm existing in public schools which emphasis was on book work to the detriment of leadership. The Ijaw National Academy, INA, Kaiama, was established to prepare young people to fit into the ever competitive society. At its commissioning ceremony by Dr. Yakubu Gowon, the former Head of State said “I must congratulate the State Governor once again for his tremendous edifice you have put in place for your people… “I therefore urge the young people to make good use of the structure to better their future, the entire Bayelsa State and the nation” he added. From inception, 1000 students were admitted into the Academy after a competitive entrance examination. Sadly 32 Months after the Restoration administration, the academy has drastically diminished in standard and quality because of the retrogressive policies of the Diri administration.

The policy thrust of Governor Dickson was to develop the tourism and hospitality industry by establishing the relevant institutions for tourism promotion in the State. The Bayelsa State International Institute of Tourism & Hospitality Management, Yenagoa was established for three main reasons; to provide ample opportunity for youths to engage in techno-vocational endeavours, to create job opportunities for Bayelsans and to promote the tourism sector as a viable source of Internally Generated Revenue

In his avowed commitment to promote sports, former Governor Dickson also established the Bayelsa Sports Academy at Asoama in Kolokoma/Opokuma LGA of Bayelsa State. The goal of the academy was to train the youths in sports to dominate sporting activities such as wrestling, football, badminton, basketball, tennis ball, etc in Nigeria and beyond.

Prior to the Dickson administration, teachers of Bayelsa State origin were trained by the Nigerian Teacher Institute, NTI, Kaduna as part of efforts to build a large stock of teachers who are up-to-date in modern pedagogy. It was for this reason that Dickson established the Teacher Training Institute at Bolou-Orua. Since its establishment, the institute has trained more than five thousand teachers and certificated them to practice the teaching profession.

Other institutions established by the Dickson administration include the University of Africa, Toru-Orua, the Bayelsa State Polytechnic, Aleibiri, the Bayelsa Medical University, Yenagoa.

IN the State's Primier University, the Niger Delta University, Dickson contributed to the growth and expansion of the Institution.

The Niger Delta University was established by Late Governor DSP Alamieyeseigha. This writer is a pioneer teacher in the University. We only accessed the University by boat until the Tombia-Amassoma Road was constructed. Former Governor Henry Seriake Dickson was the only governor that built major structures in the Institution. He built the Senate building and the dual carriage road in the University. It was for that reason that the Senate building was named after him.

He gave the University renewed impetus for development and secured the full accreditation of so many Programmes during his tenure apart from developing the ICT infrastructure in t6he citadel of learning. For the first time, Dickson initiated the policy that all first class graduates should be given automatic employment. Accordingly, scores of first class graduates were employed in the Civil Service, with a focus on the graduates of NDU. Records show that 104 graduates were employed in the first batch.

Owing to his passion for human capital development, Dickson enacted the law establishing the Higher Education Students Loans Board and the students of NDU were the first to benefit from that initiative. Senator Dickson also empowered the Institution to focus on business and developed the NDU Development Plan.

7. Former Governor Dickson expanded the Tombia- Amassoma road with eight (8) bridges He also connected Amassoma to National grid. Dickson equipped and accredited all faculties,employed doctors and other staff for the Medical College in the Niger Delta University.

The Dickson concept of education was to adopt a holistic approach to educational development, from the Primary, Secondary, and the Tertiary levels. The techno-vocational component was not left out.Under the 8-year leadership of Senator Dickson, basic education was made universal, free and compulsory in line with Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The period witnessed a rebirth of learning reminiscent of the renaissance in Europe. Dickson stamped fundamental educational reforms as part of his belief that the only thing that does not depreciate is to build a formidable stock of human capital development.Senator Dickson’s donation to the Ijaw race is human infrastructure, education, the lamp of development and social progress. Since 1999, only former Governor of Bayelsa State Henry Seriake Dickson has embarked on such huge educational reforms in Bayelsa State. It remains to be seen how the present administration will leverage such achievements to improve the quality and standard of education in the glory of all lands

Idumange John is an expert in Educational Administration