Dickson Henry Seriake

Henry Seriake Dickson CON (born 28 January 1966) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He has been the Senator representing Bayelsa West senatorial district since 2020 in the 9th National Assembly and also from 2023 in the 10th Assembly. He served as the Governor of Bayelsa State from 14 February 2012 to 14 February 2020 and was a member of the House of Representatives from 2007 until 2012.

Early life and education: Henry Seriake Dickson was born on 28 January 1966 in Toru-Orua Town of Sagbama Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. He is a descendant of the King Kapadia Royal House of Tarakiri Kingdom. He attended Kolobiriowei Primary School, Toru-Orua, from 1972 to 1978, earning his First School Leaving Certificate, followed by Government Secondary School, Toru-Ebeni, from 1978 to 1983, where he obtained his West African School Certificate (WASSCE/GCE). He enrolled in Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, to study law in 1988 and earned his LL.B in 1992. In 1993, he obtained his Bachelor of Laws from the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar shortly thereafter.

Legal career: Henry Seriake Dickson joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1986. After graduating from law school in 1993, he was appointed as a cadet assistant superintendent of police in 1994. He voluntarily resigned from the police force after nearly a decade, choosing to practice law. As a lawyer, he worked with Serena David Dokubo & CO as an associate solicitor from 1994 to 1995, then with Aluko & Oyebode in Lagos as an associate solicitor from 1995 to 1996. He founded Seriake Dickson & CO in Port Harcourt and later in Yenagoa, serving as managing solicitor from 1996 to 2006. He was also elected pioneer publicity secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Yenagoa from 1996 to 1998.