Akene Audio Saga: The Untold Truth Behind Dickson’s Harmless Statement

By: Preye Bagou. 

Bayelsa is a state in the southern region of Nigeria, primarily inhabited by the Ijaw people, with an estimated population of 0.9 million. The Ijaws lived as a minority in most southern states before the creation of Bayelsa State by the late General Sani Abacha in 1996.

The name ‘Bayelsa’ is an acronym formed from three Local Government Areas: Brass, Yenagoa, and Sagbama, which were part of the former Rivers State. The four dialects spoken in Bayelsa State are Izon, Nembe, Ogbia, and Epie-Atissa.

Bayelsa State is widely recognized as the headquarters of the Ijaw nation, being the only indigenous state predominantly inhabited by Ijaw-speaking people in southern Nigeria, despite the different dialects and shared values, norms, and culture.

Bayelsans, who are publicly known as Ijaws, have always lived together peacefully and in unity since the state’s creation in 1996, without any form of segregation based on local government area or senatorial district.

The state has had experienced and development-oriented governors, who have made deliberate efforts and contributions in different sectors of the state’s economy toward its growth and development, as it is a relatively young state with many developmental needs.

Bayelsa State has had six Executive Governors: the late DSP Alamieyeseigha, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Chief Timipre Sylva, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, and Senator Douye Diri, since its creation, operating under a democratic system of government.

These governors have made meaningful contributions at various levels and capacities across different sectors to promote the state’s growth and development, particularly improving the welfare of its citizens over the years.

Expository: The Untold Truth

Before Bayelsa State was created in 1996 from the old Rivers State during the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha, the region faced significant infrastructural backwardness in the three recognized LGAs: Brass, Yenagoa, and Sagbama.

Despite the deliberate efforts of previous administrations before the Restoration Government led by Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, the state capital was far from being recognized as developed due to a lack of basic social amenities.

Yenagoa Local Government Area, which was designated as the state capital after Bayelsa’s creation, was a typical forest with no significant infrastructural development, largely due to the lack of government presence in the recognized LGAs under the former Rivers State.

Mr. Akene, who served under the Restoration Government, made an erroneous comparison of Bayelsa to other long-developed states like Rivers, Delta, and Lagos during a phone conversation with Senator Dickson, citing their advanced commercial cities.

It was factually and contextually incorrect for Mr. Akene to compare long-developed and advanced commercial cities like Port Harcourt, Warri, and Lagos to a young state capital like Yenagoa.

In setting the record straight, Senator Dickson corrected Mr. Akene’s comparison during the phone call, pointing out that Yenagoa, as a virgin state capital, was still in its developmental stages and should not be compared to established commercial cities.

Unbeknownst to Senator Dickson, Mr. Akene recorded the conversation and released it to the public, leading to widespread misinterpretation and misunderstanding.

Senator Dickson’s statement was not intended to discredit Yenagoa as a “forest capital,” as misunderstood by many Bayelsans, but to correct Mr. Akene’s erroneous comparison during the conversation.

To date, the aforementioned state capitals cannot be compared to Yenagoa in terms of infrastructural development and basic social amenities. It is crucial for the general public to be informed of the truth, rather than misinterpreting Senator Dickson’s statement.

It is an established fact that the Restoration Government made tremendous improvements in most sectors, particularly in infrastructural development, to modernize the state capital and attract small and medium-scale businesses.

Based on these facts, Senator Dickson’s statement was misinterpreted and misunderstood by the general public. As a former governor, he made deliberate efforts to attract development to the state capital to boost socio-economic activities.