Mo Ibrahim Foundation withholds African leadership prize
October 22, 2009 (LONDON) — Prize Committee that selects the winner of world’s largest individual annual award, the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership has decided to hold back the five-million dollar prize of this year.
The Prize Committee, this week in London said that they could not find a winner, despite thorough consideration. The Sudanese tycoon Dr. Mo Ibrahim to his side said that there was “no issue of disrespect” meant towards eligible leaders. He also stressed that the foundation had always said there might be years when the prize might slip.
He said that these were the rules of the committee and they were needed to make it operate “efficiently”.
“It has to be a closed committee,” he said. “It’s up to people to draw their own conclusions you’re grown up.”
“The prize committee welcomed the progress made on governance in some African countries while noting with concern recent setbacks in other countries,” a statement said adding “This year, the prize committee has considered some credible candidates. However, after an in-depth review, the prize committee could not select a winner.”
South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki and Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria were among former leaders eligible for the Mo Ibrahim Prize.
The prize was set up by Sudanese-born businessman Mo Ibrahim and first awarded in 2007 to former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano, followed last year by Botswana’s Festus Mogae.
The award goes to a democratically elected former leader from a sub-Saharan African country.
The winners receive 5 million US dollars over 10 years and US$200,000 annually for life thereafter, the Prize is open to former heads of state or government from sub-Saharan Africa who have left office in the last three years and demonstrated exemplary leadership.
Prize Committee of the Mo Ibrahim foundation draws on research from the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, and other sources, and assesses the quality of governance in the areas of economic and social development, peace and security, human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The Prize aims to encourage leaders who fully dedicate their term of office to surmount the development challenges of their countries, improving the livelihoods and welfare of their people and consolidating the foundation for sustainable development.
Mo Ibrahim Prize is believed to energize African leadership and encourage a new generation of young leaders to step up to this most urgent of challenges.
(ST)