John Godson
Encyclopedia
John Abraham Godson is a Polish politician, a university teacher and a former Pentecostal
minister. He is the first black Polish Member of Parliament
and a member of the Civic Platform
party.
to an Igbo
family. He moved to Poland in 1993, and in 2001 became a Polish citizen. In 2008, he became a member of the Łódź City Council. In 2007, he unsuccessfully ran in the Polish parliamentary election. In 2010, he was re-elected for the City Council with 4736 votes, the second best result out of almost 800 candidates. As former MP Hanna Zdanowska was elected Mayor of Łódź in the same election, Godson replaced her as a member of the Sejm
. He was sworn in on 14 December 2010. The "Obama bump" is considered by many the reason for the many votes he received during the Sejm campaign. His supporters were known to cheer "Vivat! Vivat Polski Obama!" ("Long live the Polish Obama!"). John Godson was re-elected as a member of the Polish parliament on the 9th of October 2011 with 29,832 votes
Godson often emphasizes the importance of education and he is the holder of numerous academic degrees. He has a bachelor of science degree in agronomy from Abia State University in Nigeria (1987–92). He also holds Masters degrees in Human Resource Management and Development from Trinity College and Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana (2000-03) and International relations from the Łódź Academy of International Studies (2006–08). He is reportedly in the process of earning two doctorate degrees at the University of Warsaw
(political Science) and University of Lodz (Management). He is also participating in the joint MBA/Master of Science in Professional Communication (MSPC) run by Clark University and the Łódź Academy of Management.
He was a senior lecturer at the Technical University of Szczecin (1993–97) and at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań
. He is a guest lecturer in various institutions of higher learning in Poland and abroad. He is also the president of the African Institute in Poland.
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
minister. He is the first black Polish Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and a member of the Civic Platform
Civic Platform
Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...
party.
Biography
Godson Chikama Onyekwere was born in NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
to an Igbo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
family. He moved to Poland in 1993, and in 2001 became a Polish citizen. In 2008, he became a member of the Łódź City Council. In 2007, he unsuccessfully ran in the Polish parliamentary election. In 2010, he was re-elected for the City Council with 4736 votes, the second best result out of almost 800 candidates. As former MP Hanna Zdanowska was elected Mayor of Łódź in the same election, Godson replaced her as a member of the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
. He was sworn in on 14 December 2010. The "Obama bump" is considered by many the reason for the many votes he received during the Sejm campaign. His supporters were known to cheer "Vivat! Vivat Polski Obama!" ("Long live the Polish Obama!"). John Godson was re-elected as a member of the Polish parliament on the 9th of October 2011 with 29,832 votes
Godson often emphasizes the importance of education and he is the holder of numerous academic degrees. He has a bachelor of science degree in agronomy from Abia State University in Nigeria (1987–92). He also holds Masters degrees in Human Resource Management and Development from Trinity College and Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana (2000-03) and International relations from the Łódź Academy of International Studies (2006–08). He is reportedly in the process of earning two doctorate degrees at the University of Warsaw
University of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw is the largest university in Poland and one of the most prestigious, ranked as best Polish university in 2010 and 2011...
(political Science) and University of Lodz (Management). He is also participating in the joint MBA/Master of Science in Professional Communication (MSPC) run by Clark University and the Łódź Academy of Management.
He was a senior lecturer at the Technical University of Szczecin (1993–97) and at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
. He is a guest lecturer in various institutions of higher learning in Poland and abroad. He is also the president of the African Institute in Poland.