Profile
Jerry Gana is a Nigerian politician and former one time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was the director of the Mass Mobilization for Social Justice and Economic Recovery, popularly known as MAMSER under Ibrahim Babangida. Jerry Gana was the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Interim National Government under Chief Ernest Shonekan. He later became Minister of Information and Culture under late General Sani Abacha, then Minister of Corporation and Integration in Africa under Olusegun Obasanjo also Minister of Information and national Orientation under Olusegun Obasanjo. He also served as Political Adviser under Olusegun Obasanjo (The cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo).
Personal Life
In 1974 Jerry Gana married Lucy Tani Gana, the couple are happily married with four children (Grace Lami Gana, Joshua Audu Gana Elizabeth Sako Yisa (nee Gana), and James Boye Gana)
Education
School | Degree | Date |
Gaba Ndayako Primary School, Bida | Primary school certificate | |
Government College, Bida | WAEC |
|
Okene Secondary School, Okene | Higher School Cert. (HSC) | 1965-1966 |
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, – (B.A (Hon) Upper Division) | B.A Geography | 1967-1970 |
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen | M.Sc Course in Rural Resources Planning | 1970-1971 |
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen | Ph.D in Market Place Systems and Rural Development | 1971-1974 |
Work History
Place | Position | Date |
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria | Lecturer – Professor | 1974 -1986 |
Political History
Gana ran unsuccessfully for President in 1992 on the Social Democratic Party platform. He was elected Senator in 1983, serving briefly until the military coup that brought General Muhammadu Buhari to power. He was appointed chairman of Mass Mobilisation for Social and Economic Recovery under General Ibrahim Babangida’s government. He subsequently became a cabinet minister for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Information and Culture, Cooperation and Integration in Africa and again for Information and National Orientation.
Gana was the founding national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998. In June 2001, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Gana Minister of Cooperation and Integration in Africa. In January 2001, Obasanjo reassigned his cabinet. In the new cabinet announced in February 2001, Gana was Minister of Information. Gana was also secretary of the PDP Board of Trustees. Gana resigned in July 2006 as special advisor to President Olusegun Obasanjo, and in August 2006 announced he would contend for the PDP candidate for the 2007 presidential elections.