The Contributions Of King A.J. Turner In The Making of Gov. Henry Seriake Dickson by Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli

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My personal interactions and engagements with people most of them persons who confess deep hatred for King Amalate Turner has revealed somethings I wish to share here first, before proceeding to the crux of this piece. When I probed to know the offence or sins of King A.J. Turner, most of them told me they have never had close relationships or encounters with him, but based on judgements of other people. Yes, most of them are courageous to open up that their hatred for him is based on things they heard from other people.

Most of us reading this post are victims like innocent King Amalate Turner. Some uncivilized minds make hasty assumptions and conclusions about us even when they never had issues with us.

I called him innocent King A.J. Turner because some disgruntled leaders feel the only way to gain political relevance and popularity is for them to continuously castigate a leader who have not wronged them in any way, but have rather contributed immensely in their making.

KING A.J. TURNER AND GOV. DICKSON

Gov. Dickson till this minute acknowledges the fact that he wouldn’t have gotten to wherever he is today without the great roles King A.J Turner played in his making.

At the inception of our contemporary democracy, Dickson was roaming the streets of Yenagoa like every other Bayelsan that was looking into the future with hope.

Out of frustration and the quest for survival, Dickson accepted to serve as the Bayelsa State Chairman of Alliance for Democracy (AD). During the government of Chief D.S.P Alamieyeseigha Ph.D JP Governor General of the Niger Delta Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was really an Ijaw party not just in theory but in action and deeds. Alamco as he was generally called by his friends, associates, admirers and enemies alike carried most Bayelsans and other Ijaw leaders in the six Ijaw States along.

He really made Bayelsa State the home and Jerusalem of the Ijaw Nation. We all witnessed how Alamco mobilized the entire Ijaw Nation to rescue our people during the Ijaw and Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) war in Lagos. We know the case of the Bakassi Returnees and many other cases. He did not just shout, make unnecessary noise or boast that Bayelsa State was the headquarters of the Ijaw Nation, but he practicalized and demonstrated it in his actions.

Dickson was hustling for survival when King A.J. Turner then a very senior seasoned Permanent Secretary picked and rehabilitated him. Dickson served him in many and different capacities as Chief Security Officer (CSO), glorified Thug, Personal Assistant (P.A) and others as the case may be. Dickson always slept on the floor of A.J Turner’s house as his trusted Aide. Dickson was happy because King A.J Turner always responded promptly to his unending needs, demands and challenges.
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Dickson was the most available willing tool during the ‘ALAMCO MUST GO’ Campaign and because of the excellent role he played, he was compensated with the revered position of the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice. That was the first political appointment that Dickson had in his life and we are aware of what happened regarding the N150million that was meant for purchase of Law Books.

In order to save Dickson from the probe of Gov. Timipre Bayelsans still love you Sylva who took over the leadership of the state after the elevation of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to the exalted Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, King A.J Turner lobbied again for his boy, Barr. Dickson to be sent to the Federal House of Representatives. He was still in the Federal House of Representatives when the same King A.J. Turner lobbied for him to be made the Governor of Bayelsa State. The choice of Dickson was not based on his competence, credibility, capability, capacity, creativity or innovativeness but purely based on his muscular appearance because at that point, the gods actually wanted a man who can match Sylva in terms of physical strength, somebody who is physically built like Sylva with his admirable height. They also wanted a man with some Street Nuisance Value and was abundance in Dickson.

The above is the story behind the greatness of Gov. Henry Seriake Dickson. What we just read is a further confirmation that the story of Gov. Dickson will be grossly incomplete, doctored and mutilated without the mention and acknowledgement of the irreplaceable role that King A.J. Turner played in his making.

Without the immeasurable and invaluable sacrifices of King A.J. Turner, we will agree that Gov. Dickson perhaps wouldn’t have become the Governor of Bayelsa State. Vision and ambition move side by side with hard work in the fulfilment of destinies and in doing the above, Almighty God always use Destiny Helpers. President Goodluck Jonathan and King A.J. Turner were the destiny helpers God used to fulfil His blessings upon Gov. Dickson.

Therefore, beneficiaries of the benevolence and goodwill of Gov. Dickson should realize and also appreciate the sacrifices of these two great Ijaw leaders. Any appointee of Gov. Dickson that opens his or her mouth to abuse or insult President Jonathan and King Turner is an ungrateful fellow.

Those who are sponsoring campaigns of calumny against their Chief Benefactors have fundamental problems that they need to tackle to avoid incurring the wrath of God. King A.J. Turner is a man with so much divine grace of God. God has used him to change a lot of destinies. No amount of antagonism can pull him down, rather God will continue to bless and prosper him because of his good heart and good works.

Written by
Most Senior Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli
Mirror and Conscience of Society.

This article is originally titled: ‘The contributions of king A.J. Turner in the making of Gov. Henry Seriake Dickson and the need for all beneficiaries of the restoration government to know and appreciate their source of survival‘