Poland gets its first black lawmaker – A Nigerian

A Nigerian from Abia State becomes a Polish lawmaker

John Abraham Godson (Chikama Onyekwere) made history few days ago to become the first black person to become an honorable member of Polish National House of Parliament. John Godson was born in Abia State, Nigeria and migrated to Poland seventeen years ago. He became a citizen of Poland ten years; he will replace Hanna Zdanowska of Civic Platform, who was elected mayor of Lodz on the election that took place on Sunday.

“In the last local government and council elections on 21 November, Godson received Lodz’s second-choice vote from the Civic Platform list, gaining a place on the city’s municipal council. He was first elected to the Lodz city council in 2008.”

Godson a popular and highly educated man with many advance degrees is presently serving as a councilman in the central city of Lodz, before becoming a member of national parliament. Speaking with Polish Radio Lodz, he reminded his constituency at home in Lodz, that at Warsaw he will not relent in the promotion of his city Lodz. He promised to commute to Warsaw during his tenure and will continue to live in Lodz, saying: “I am from Lodz, I will live here, I want to die here and I want to be buried here.”

Godson promised to improve his constituency at Lodz with a bold and detailed policy agenda including rebuilding of the infrastructures and making broadband internet more accessible. He also promised to improve diplomatic relations with African countries.

“John Godson came to Poland in the first half of the 1990s and received Polish citizenship in 2000. He is a graduate of the Department of Agronomy at Abia State University in Nigeria and also holds a doctorate in human resource management. Godson continues to lecture at a number of universities throughout Poland.   Godson is also the president of the African Institute in Poland as well as a pastor of the Church of God in Christ, a Christian Pentecostal church active in Poland.”

The 40 years John Abraham Godson is married with children.

Pictures from Godson’s website