General News of Friday, 17 June 2016
Source: citifmonline.com
Mo Ibrahim
The Mo Ibrahim foundation has announced that there will be no winner of the 2015 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership for the fifth time.
The foundation announced on Thursday that no African leader will benefit from US$5 million prize money for outstanding leadership and commitment to democracy.
The award was instituted in 2006 by Sudanese telecom mogul, Mo Ibrahim, as an incentive to promote good governance on the continent and encourage African leaders to leave office when their term limit is due.
The Foundation has awarded only four leaders since being launched in 2006; President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia (2014), President Pedro Pires of Cabo Verde (2011), President Festus Mogae of Botswana (2008), and President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique (2007).
The late former South African president, Nelson Mandela was the inaugural Honorary Laureate in 2007. Another South African, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, was awarded a US$1 million special prize for his lifelong commitment towards “speaking truth to power” in 2012.
Commenting on the decision of the Prize Committee, Mo Ibrahim acknowledged the high standards of the committee and noted that the prize was instituted to highlight “outstanding” leadership.
“When we launched the Prize ten years ago, we deliberately set a very high bar… We want the Prize to shine a spotlight on outstanding leadership to provide role models right across society, as well as supporting Laureates to continue to serve the continent by sharing their wisdom and experience,” he said.
The candidates for consideration of the award must be former African executive Heads of State who have left their office during the last three calendar years, having been democratically elected and served their constitutionally mandated term. The winner gets US$5m over 10 years and $200,000 a year for life.