In line with his tradition of marking his birthday with the less privileged, Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson on Mondayvisited the Glory Land Orphanage Home to mark his 52nd birthday anniversary.

Flanked by the First Lady, Dr. Rachael Dickson; Speaker of the House Assembly, Rt Honorable Konbowei Benson; Secretary to the State Government, Pastor Kemela Okara; Commissioner of Women Affairs, Mrs. Martha Janakumo; and top government functionaries, the Governor sang birthday songs and shared birthday cakes with the orphans.

While thanking God for his grace upon his life and the government, Dickson promised to govern the state in the overall interest of the ordinary people.

He, therefore, directed the immediate relocation of the Orphanage to a more befitting environment.

“Before the end of this year, the children in the orphanage would be moved to a befitting home. Government will pay more attention to vulnerable children and handicapped people for I am a Countryman and I vowed never to disconnect with you.”

He also directed the Scholarship Board to grant scholarship to one of the auxiliaryworkers at the Orphanage, to enable her study Law at the newly-built University of Africa, Toru-Orua.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Honorable Martha Jenakumo, praised the Governor for always connecting with the vulnerable and less privileged.

“The Lord will continue to honour you because you have come to the orphanage to honour these vulnerable children. We know where men of your calibre celebrate birthdays, but for you this orphanage is where you usually celebrate birthdays...You will live long; heaven will stand by you for standing by these orphans and vulnerable children in Jesus name!"

She told a story of how the Governor flew an orphan to India for corrective surgery and, on arriving in India, the experts said the child was too young to undergo the surgery and was consequently treated, but told to wait for the next 14 years before returning to India for the surgery.

She said when the Governor learnt of that, he paid the money for the surgery upfront to guarantee the operation knowing that in the next 14 years, he might not be in the position to help the child.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Ebiere Adeh hailed the Governor for being the father of the fatherless.

She thanked God for giving the needy hope in Dickson.

“God of the motherless will bless you. Silver and Gold we have not but God will bless and sustain you,” she said.

•Photo showsBayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (centre) his wife, Rachael (fourthleft) Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Kemela Okara (left, back row) Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Konbowei Benson, a cross section of guests and inmates of the Gloryland Children's Home, Yenagoa, jointly cutting the Governor’s 52nd birthday cake during the Governor’s visit to the orphanage to celebrate with the children in Yenagoa.