Foumakoye Gado

Foumakoye Gado (born c. 1961[1]) is a Nigerien politician and the Secretary-General of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya). He served in the government of Niger as Minister of Mines and Energy from April 1993 to October 1994 and he held the same post for a second time from April 2011 to September 2011. He has served as Minister of Energy and Oil since September 2011.

Political career

Gado studied physics at the University of Niamey and received a doctorate degree; later, he was a professor at the same university.[1] He was a founding member of the PNDS-Tarayya, a political party created under the leadership of Mahamadou Issoufou in the early 1990s,[2] and acquired a reputation as a firm loyalist of Issoufou.[1] At the PNDS Constitutive General Assembly, held on 23–24 December 1990, he was designated as the First Deputy Secretary-General of the PNDS.[3]

He was elected to the National Assembly of Niger in the February 1993 parliamentary election[1][4] as a PNDS candidate in Dosso constituency.[5] Following the 1993 election, Mahamadou Issoufou was appointed as Prime Minister at the head of a coalition government, and Gado was appointed to Issoufou's government as Minister of Mines and Energy on 23 April 1993.[6] At the same time, he was also Deputy Secretary-General of the PNDS.[7] He served as Minister of Mines and Energy until October 1994,[8] when the PNDS withdrew from the ruling coalition and went into opposition.[9]

Gado was among those arrested following an opposition demonstration on 11 January 1997.[10] At the Fourth Ordinary Congress of the PNDS, held on 4–5 September 2004, Gado was elected as its Secretary-General.[11]

In August 2005, Gado alleged that food aid was being improperly and corruptly distributed by administrative and political authorities, and he urged the government to take action against those responsible.[12] He was re-elected as PNDS Secretary-General at the party's Fifth Ordinary Congress, held on 18 July 2009.[13]

After Mahamadou Issoufou won the January–March 2011 presidential election and took office as President on 7 April 2011, Gado was appointed to the government as Minister of Mines and Energy on 21 April 2011.[14][15][16] He took over the ministry from his predecessor, Djibo Salamatou Gourouza Magagi, on 23 April 2011.[17]

President Issoufou modified the government on 12 September 2011, separating the mining portfolio from energy; he appointed Omar Hamidou Tchiana as Minister of State for Mines and Industrial Development, while Gado was instead appointed as Minister of Energy and Oil.[18]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Foumakoye Gado", Africa Mining Intelligence N°249, 27 April 2011.
  2. ↑ "Issoufou appoints new cabinet", West Africa Newsletter N°610, 21 April 2011.
  3. ↑ "Genese et évolution du PNDS", PNDS website (accessed 17 May 2011) (French).
  4. ↑ "Arrêt no 93-10/cc du 18 mars 1993", Supreme Court of Niger, 18 March 1993 (French).
  5. ↑ "Arrêt no 93-3/cc du 1er février 1993", Supreme Court of Niger, 1 February 1993 (French).
  6. ↑ Bulletin de l'Afrique noire, issues 1,615–1,659 (1993), page 202 (French).
  7. ↑ Cahiers du communisme, volume 70, issues 1–4 (1994), French Communist Party, page 121 (French).
  8. ↑ "Gouvernements du Président Mahamane Ousmane", official web site of the Nigerien presidency (French).
  9. ↑ Jibrin Ibrahim and Abdoulayi Niandou Souley, "The rise to power of an opposition party: the MNSD in Niger Republic", Politeia, volume 15, number 3, Unisa Press, 1996.
  10. ↑ "Les suites de la manifestation du 11 janvier 1997", Afrique Express (French).
  11. ↑ "Comité Exécutif National issu du 4ème Congrès Ordinaire, Niamey du 04 au 05 Septembre 2004", PNDS website (French).
  12. ↑ "L'opposition accuse les autorités de détournement d'aide", Panapress, 16 August 2005 (French).
  13. ↑ "Comité Exécutif National issu du 5ème Congrès Ordinaire tenu à Niamey le 18 Juillet 2009", PNDS website (French).
  14. ↑ "Niger : un nouveau gouvernement aux couleurs du PNDS", Jeune Afrique, 21 April 2011 (French).
  15. ↑ "Niger unveils new government", AFP, 21 April 2011.
  16. ↑ "Le Chef de l'Etat signe un décret portant composition des membres du premier gouvernement de la 7ème République", Le Sahel, 23 April 2011 (French).
  17. ↑ "Passation de service : au Ministère des Mines et de l'Energie", Le Sahel, 26 April 2011 (French).
  18. ↑ "Le Chef de l'Etat procède à un réaménagement technique du gouvernement", Le Sahel, 13 September 2011 (French).