| John Godson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Sejm | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 14 December 2010 |
|
| Constituency | 9 – Łódź |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 November 1970 Umuahia, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian-Polish |
| Political party | Civic Platform |
| Religion | Pentecostalism |
John Abraham Godson (né Godson Chikama Onyekwere; born 25 November 1970, Umuahia, Nigeria) 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.
Godson Chikama Onyekwere was born in Nigeria 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.[1] 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 [2]
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)[3] and International relations from the Łódź Academy of International Studies (2006–08).[4] 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.[5]
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.[6]
Godson is a former minister of Pentecostal "God's Church of Christ". He is known for his strong religious beliefs. He calls himself "[...]a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God.".[7]