Bayelsa born former policeman turned politician Serikae
Dickson prepared himself in public advocacy through his
training in law school after quitting the police.

Dickson
started his political advocacy from the left and had the
distinguished record of being the only state chairman of the
Alliance for Democracy, AD in the South-South to produce a
senator, members of the House of Representatives and the
House of Assembly at the onset of democratic rule in
1999. He fought the establishment as then represented by
the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP till he was enticed into
government by Governor Goodluck Jonathan who he served
as Attorney General.

Entering into government, however, did
not stop his life of political struggles especially after he
translated from the executive branch in Yenogoa to the
House of Representatives. For most of his time in the House
he was on edge as he became a proxy object in the political
warfare between Governor Timipire Sylva and Vice
President Jonathan. Against all permutations from the
political leadership in Yenogoa as directed by Governor
Sylva, he won re-election in 2011, and the following year
served Governor Sylva the ultimate comeuppance when
with the unpretentious support of President Jonathan, he
snatched the PDP ticket from him.

Taking over the Bayelsa Government House, however, did
not mean the end of his life of battles as he confessed
during two interview sessions conducted in Yenogoa and
Lagos. Dismissing the recent wave of defections from the
ruling PDP, he said “what I survived in the last three years
from higher and more dangerous quarters is far more
dangerous than all these decamping put together!”
Now pitched in the battle for re-election, Governor Dickson
counts the good luck of President Jonathan as one of his
props asserting that Jonathan, who weaned him from his
wars against the rightwing establishment remains
supportive of him as ever. Even more, he cites his
development credentials on ground as the leverage he would
use to overcome what he describes as the latest conspiracy
against him. Excerpts:
By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor and Samuel
Oyadongha
Why are your colleagues in the PDP running away from your
party?
Yes some leaders of our party are decamping but you have
to understand their background. Almost all of them who are
decamping want to be governors and these persons know
that within PDP they have no way of becoming governorship
flag bearers of the party. For them it means going to
another platform to fight for Governorship ticket to contest
the election. But APC in Bayelsa is not a party on ground
and do not be deceived, even at national level they are
crumbling. You will see PDP will rise again very soon. APC
in Bayelsa is a political party that has no membership
following but has only Governorship candidates; the
members are only governorship aspirants. Where was APC
when we conducted the House of Assembly election? How
many APC legislators do we have in Bayelsa?

Project for project
This is a PDP state, this is a PDP stronghold. Two factors
come into play, ambition which is legitimate as long as they
do not resort to violence for we are brothers and sisters and
friends and I remain their governor.
We are waiting to see who their candidate will be that can
match’ the talk na do Governor project for project, vision
for vision, ideas for ideas. We are waiting for a very robust
campaign.
Apart from those who are going in because of their ambition, we will see what happens after their primaries
because I have not done anything bad to any of them, it is
all politics and some are just calling a dog a bad name.
You are also aware that our party for the first time lost
power at the centre and I think it is immoral for the people
who have been nurtured by the PDP over the years to
defect. Many decamp because of personal ambition and to
be available for federal appointment. Well, we can only wish
them well.
The way our former President left office, I believe the next
election is not about me or PDP. It is about the dignity and
pride of Ijaw nation, a people who have been humiliated at
the federal level like this because they say we are few and
our people who should hold the home base are the ones
jumping ship. I do not have any problems even with the
leader of the opposition party in the state, the former
governor. He is my friend and brother but his politics is
what I disagree with.

But his own case is even understandable because he was
there as part of the formation of the APC for whatever
personal reasons. But people who stayed with us till we did
elections should know APC does not need them.
Where were they when APC was battling to get votes and
register their party to secure votes for their president? They
think because we have lost, the Ijaw nation should be
humiliated and they are not going quietly. They are the ones
that are taking but the good news is that the ordinary people
of Ijaw nation will rise up and say no to this display of greed
of the highest order where people cannot subordinate their
own personal greed for position at the federal level for the
common good.

Gov Dickson
Your opponents say you are tight fisted
We are getting less than 25% of the allocation that we used
to get when I started. So, almost everything that we receive
goes to service the cost of running government to the extent
that for some months, three, four months, that I even don’t
receive any allowance because that is a sacrifice that we
must make to enable us meet our basic obligations, firstly
to our workers. You cannot be owing workers and be paying
contractors because they are politicians.
That is wrong. That is unpatriotic. That is criminal. In any
case, if someone is saying that he did a job and that we are
owing and we cant pay, is the man who gives you a job an
enemy? It is ingratitude. As a matter of fact, what is going
on in Bayelsa is political betrayal of the highest order. It is a
harvest of ingratitude.
All of them are my contractors. All of them! And they didn’t
come begging. We sent for them, that they are stakeholders
to support them. I have run a more inclusive government
than any other governor I have seen in Bayelsa.
As we speak, Alaibe has his own nominees serving in the
government at all levels, commissioner level, special adviser
level all levels.
I feel bad at what some of these people are doing, but it
would not stop me from being good and nice, it just teaches
me more about the capacity of human beings for ingratitude
and for evil because individually, I have done nothing
against any one of them. Individually, I have been good to
each and to all of them. I have consulted them on
government policies and decisions more than they would
ever consult any other person.

The picture they are painting is propaganda, just to justify
their treachery and betrayal.
Take for example, Stella Dorgu, when I left to become
governor and my seat in the House of Representatives was
vacant and I introduced her to her people for the first time
and against all opposition, I garnered support to send her to
the House of Representatives.
Senate position
Now she wanted to go back to the House of
Representatives and because the Senate position was
coming to my local government and she expressed interest
for the Senate but the other gentleman is a better Senate
material. Now looking back I think we made the right
decision in going with him because she has truly brought
out her true colours.

If I were her, this is a time that she should have stood by me
and by the party that gave her the opportunity to go to the
House of Representatives.
Why is it that you faced serious opposition in your contests
in 2012 and now 2015?
Elections are political contests. What I managed in 2012
was even worse than the present situation. All my
colleagues in the National Assembly, including my senator,
Senator Lokpobiri, all of them supported Sylva and I
weathered a lot of opposition. It wasn’t personal, it was all
politics, ambition, political calculation. That is why when I
became governor, I worked with all of them.
Take Senator Lokpobiri, my senator at the time I was
contesting for governor. He never supported me. Now he
wanted to go back to the Senate, but my people said no,
you have done two terms, let someone else go. That is now
a political offence. ‘I wanted to be senator, you didn’t
support me. I wanted to go to the House of Representatives
you didn’t support me. I wanted to go to House of
Assembly, you didn’t support me, therefore, I am going to
APC.’ That is what is happening.
So, will you keep nominees of those you call betrayers in
your government?
I have a large political heart. What I have managed in the
last three years, the details will come out when I write my
memoirs. It is only a politician with a large heart, a
politician who has the grace of God and a politician who has
experience and tact that could have survived what I went
through. What I survived in the last three years from higher
and more dangerous quarters is far more dangerous than all
these decamping put together! So, I am not moved because
I am used to it.
Personal attack
I am used to surviving tempests, I am used to managing
storms. What I see as a personal attack from the APC will
not scratch me.
I managed in a state House of Assembly where I did not
have one single member for three and a half years. All the
members in the House of Assembly from 2012 when I took
over till June this year were all put there by Governor Sylva.
Yet, with the incitements, with the conspiracies, with the
impeachment plans from highest political levels.. that
should give you an idea as to our experience, our tact and
capacity to manage tendencies.
So, what is your relationship with the former president and
his family?
Very cordial. The former president remains my elder brother
and my leader and we are working closely. If there is
anyone who believes and is supportive of why I should be
re-elected, it is former President Jonathan.
How were you able to manage the excesses of the former
first lady?
I don’t know what you mean by excesses!
You can tell that off the record
I don’t have any off the record!


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/the-story-of-my-betrayal-by-gov-dickson/

OP, Re-arrange this post for easier read!

Summarise please!

Brb

we are waiting too, mr. governor

Serikae Dickson the last time I check was among the choosen generation....

this post reminds me of Jagajaga by Idris Abdulkareem. rearrange it Asap

Abeg who read this?

Very long

The man appears sincere, let him go to the grassroots, do more roads, reduce school fees in NDU, do a lot of people policies, get word of loyalty from his commissioners. He should also build his private residence just in case.

donholy28:
Abeg who read this?

I did, it involves my people.

So, people moving to APC to pursue their legitimate aspiration are now betrayals? The governor better get ready to contest and campaign and his achievements in office. All this sentimental talk about the Ijaw tribe staying with PDP because Jonathan lost is nothing. Performance will be the only criteria for electoral victories in Nigeria henceforth.