Mohammed Goni

Mohammed Goni
Governor of Borno State
In office October 1979 – October 1983
Preceded by	Tunde Idiagbon
Succeeded by	Asheik Jarma
Personal details
Born	1942 Kareto, Mobbar LGA, Borno State, Nigeria

Alhaji Mohammed Goni is a retired civil servant who was Governor of Borno State, Nigeria (1979–1983) in the Nigerian Second Republic.

Background

Mohammed Goni was born in 1942 in Kareto, Mobbar Local Government Area, Borno State. He attended Maiduguri Middle School (1953–1955), Borno Provincial Secondary School (1956–1961), Provincial Secondary School, Kano (1962–1963) and the Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1964–1987), where he gained a BA (Administration), specializing in International Affairs.^[1]

In 1967, he joined the government of the former Northern Region, and held a series of administrative positions in Kaduna, Bauchi, Azare, Katagum and Gombe. In 1970 he was posted to the Ministry of Finance Headquarters, Maiduguri, and in 1971 he was given a secondment as General Manager of the North-Eastern Transport Corporation. In April 1975, he returned to the Government as a Deputy Secretary with the Ministry of Establishment, North-Eastern State. In April 1977, he transferred to the Nigerian National Supply Company.^[1]

Governor of Borno State

In April 1979, Mohammed Goni resigned from the National Supply Company and entered politics.^[1] He was elected as the first Civilian Governor of the former Borno State, on the platform of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP), and was in office from October 1979 to September 1983.^[2] He was also part of the Progressives Coalition led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo.^[3] Goni founded the Borno Radio Television (BRTV) to counter the propaganda which was being pumped out of the Federal Government owned and sponsored Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).^[4] In retrospect, his period of office was considered one of achievement when compared with his successors.^[5]

Before the 1983 elections, Goni transferred to the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), running unsuccessfully for reelection against the Nigerian People's Party (NPP) candidate Sheikh Jarma.^[6] In the case of Federal Electoral Commission v Alhadji Mohammed Goni (1983), the Supreme Court of Nigeria condemned cross-carpeting by political officeholders.^[7]

Later career

Mohammed Goni was a member of the committee that drafted the 1995 Constitution.^[1] In the April 2003 general elections he ran on the United Nigeria People's Party (UNPP) platform as vice-presidential candidate with Jim Nwobodo as the presidential candidate. They were not elected.^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Bosoma Sheriff and Shettima Maina Mohammed. "Alhaji Mohammed Goni (The first civilian governor of Borno State)". Kanuri Studies Association. http://www.kanuri.net/borno_personalities2.php?aID=62. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
2. ^ TIMOTHY OLA (September 30, 2009). "How we underdeveloped Borno North, by Mohammed Goni". OnlineNigeria Daily News. http://news.onlinenigeria.com/templates/?a=8522. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Jide Babalola (11/10/2009). "Only two-party system can save Nigeria, Goni". The Nation. http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/21498/1/Only-two-party-system-can-save-Nigeria-Goni/Page1.html. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
4. ^ Jerry K. Domatob (1988). "Africa Media Review Vol. 3 No. 1. 1988". African Council on Communication Education. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/africa%20media%20review/vol3no1/jamr003001010.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
5. ^ Sadiq Abubakar. "Tussle for Sheriff's succession". National Daily. http://www.nationaldailyngr.com/77pol2.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-14. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ ABDULKAREEM HARUNA (Nov, 07 2009). "Nigeria Should Revert To Parliamentary Govt – Darmai". Daily Independent. http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=2938. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
7. ^ John Moyibi Amoda (Oct 6, 2009). "Coup against Bauchi State ANPP". Vanguard. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/06/coup-against-bauchi-state-anpp-4/. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 

In January 2011 he was elected by PDP delegates in Borno state to be their gubernatorial Flag-bearer in April 2011 elections

Persondata
Name	Goni, Mohammed
Alternative names
Short description	Governor of Borno State, Nigeria
Date of birth	1942
Place of birth	Kareto, Mobbar LGA, Borno State, Nigeria
Date of death
Place of death