New Senators Take the Oath of Allegiance

Abka Fitz Henley and Dr. Dana Morris Dixon were today (May 12) sworn in as Government Senators in the Upper House. 

The new Senators were warmly welcomed by their colleagues after they took the Oath of Allegiance. 

They will fill seats in the Upper House left vacant following the resignation of  Natalie Campbell-Rodriques and Leslie Campbell. 

President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. Tom Tavares-Finson, congratulated Mr. Fitz Henley and Dr. Morris Dixon on their appointment. 

“We trust that the manner in which you have carried out your allotted tasks elsewhere in the private sector and the manner in which you have approached your various professions elsewhere, that enthusiasm and competence will be brought into this Chamber for the benefit of this Jamaica land we love as a whole,” he said. 

In welcoming his new colleagues, Deputy Leader of Government Business, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, noted their commitment and contributions to Jamaica. 

He wished the outgoing Senators all the best in their new endeavours. “We wish them both well and we know that they will do well,” he said. 

Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Senator Peter Bunting, said he looked forward to the contributions that the new Senators will make in the Chamber. 

In his response, Mr. Fitz-Henley committed to doing right for the Jamaican people and thanked the Prime Minister for the opportunity to serve.  

He recalled attending Parliament at age 10 with his late father, which piqued his initial interest in affairs of government and governance. 

“And I thought… maybe one day, I would have the opportunity to serve in this Chamber. The day has come, and I… commit to the Jamaican people to, in my deport and energies evinced in this Chamber to do right by our country,” he said.  

Dr. Morris Dixon, for her part, said she is humbled to serve her country. “I thank the Honourable Prime Minister for asking me to serve in this way. I know very clearly it is not about me; it is about service. I have been given a lot of tremendous opportunities in my life and I believe it’s important that all of us in here, who have had all of these opportunities that so many didn’t, that we use our skills and talents to serve our country. I pray that I will serve my country very well,” she said. 

Mr. Fitz-Henley is a multiple award-winning media practitioner and communications consultant. His highly successful media career began when he was 20 years old and spanned 13 years. He was the host of a popular current affairs morning show until January 2022 when he left to pursue other interests. 

During his first year in media, he was recognised with the Young Journalist of the Year Award from The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ), and in 2016, went on to cop one of the country’s highest recognised journalism prizes, the Press Association of Jamaica National Journalist of the Year Award. 

Mr. Fitz-Henley is also the recipient of the Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence in Media and Communication. 

Dr.  Morris Dixon is a 2004 Fulbright Scholar and an alum of the University of the West Indies where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Economics (First Class Honours) and a Master of Science in Government (Distinction). 

She is also a graduate of Josef Korbel School of International Studies where she completed a PhD in International Studies, as well as the executive programme of the Harvard Business School. 

She has served as a senior executive of the JN Group and also as Managing Director of JN General Insurance Ltd.  While on secondment from the JN Group to the Bank of Jamaica, she also led the successful completion of the National Risk Assessment for Jamaica in 2021, which is a key component of Jamaica’s Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Action Plan. 

Dr. Dixon has also served in senior public-sector roles in the Office of the Prime Minister and at the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO).