Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) on Monday declared that it is difficult to serve with honesty in Nigeria, citing his over two decades of experience in public service at both state and federal levels.
Dickson, who spoke in Abuja while receiving the Transparency in Leadership Award conferred on him by the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness at the National Assembly, said the public service environment in Nigeria is often hostile to integrity.
The lawmaker served as Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Bayelsa State under former Governor Goodluck Jonathan between 2006 and 2007.
He was later elected into the House of Representatives to represent Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency from 2007 to 2012 before emerging as Governor of Bayelsa State, where he served for eight years. In 2020, he was elected into the Senate to represent Bayelsa West.
Reflecting on his journey in governance, Dickson said he had navigated the challenging public service climate by adhering to his personal creed of service to humanity and service to God.
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“It is not easy in this country to serve with honesty within the public realm,” he said. “In a society where everyone is often painted with the same brush, it is a tough environment to serve, a society filled with propaganda, blackmail and misrepresentation.”
Despite what he described as a “polluted public space,” the senator maintained that he had remained steadfast in his commitment to transparency and integrity.
“But despite all that, I can say from my own experience that there are honest Nigerian public officers. There are hardworking and patriotic Nigerians. They may be few, but they exist,” he added.
Dickson urged civil society organisations to deliberately seek out and recognise honest and dedicated Nigerians across different sectors for commendation and awards.
“I urge you to recognise and appreciate such people. They are present in all walks of life. If you look closely, even in institutions that are often criticised, including the judiciary, you will find honest, hardworking judges, magistrates and justices,” he said.
“The same applies to the police, which is heavily criticised. By the way, I was once a policeman myself. That is why I was firm on law and order as a governor. I worked to restore sanity in my state, flushed out criminals, and addressed not only crime itself but also the root causes of crime and criminality,” he stressed.
