On Monday it was announced that one of the world's most valuable prizes has gone unclaimed for the fourth time in five years. The prize is the Mo Ibrahim prize, and the aim is for it to be awarded each year to an elected leader who fulfils the three criteria of good governance, raising living standards and leaving office. It was hoped by Mr Ibrahim that, by including the range of criteria, it would not only encourage leaders to achieve good governance, but also to step down from power in a peaceful and democratic fashion - something rarely seen in Africa.
The prize is worth over $5m, and it seems to me that it is a telling indication of the state of leadership in Africa that the prize has only been awarded 3 times in the 7 years since it was launched. Africa has approximately 55 countries (depending on whether you are speaking to the African Union or the United Nations, and whether you count Somaliland as separate from Somalia), and therefore a similar number of leaders. Although leaders serve terms of office, statistically it should be that there are some leaders up for re-election every year - if only...
...if only more of them were willing to actually stand down from office when they are old, grey and ready to let someone else step in
...if only more of the countries really practiced democracy
...if only there were suitable alternative candidates to rise up and take their places when they do step down
...if only tribal histories didn't get in the way
...if only
Just to prove the point about the dearth of decent leaders, also in the news this week, we hear about Charles Taylor, the ex-Liberian leader charged with war crimes; and about the appalling state of Nigerian jails (clearly lack of good leadership there); and how the Kenyan president is fighting to avoid appearing at the Hague regarding charges of crimes against humanity.
Add in all the corrupt African leaders we can name without having to read the papers, and it is quickly visible why there are so few candidates for the prize.
Africa is such an incredibly continent in so many ways - I've met some very inspiring and humbling people there on my visits, and indeed will be meeting more over the next few days. How wonderful it would be to think that one day the tide will turn, and there will be a recognition that good governance, unity, democracy and freedom for all is the better way forward; and that one day Mo Ibrahim will have the delightful task of having to choose the winner of his prize from a number of different candidates, rather than scraping the barrel for one, or just not awarding it at all.
The prize is worth over $5m, and it seems to me that it is a telling indication of the state of leadership in Africa that the prize has only been awarded 3 times in the 7 years since it was launched. Africa has approximately 55 countries (depending on whether you are speaking to the African Union or the United Nations, and whether you count Somaliland as separate from Somalia), and therefore a similar number of leaders. Although leaders serve terms of office, statistically it should be that there are some leaders up for re-election every year - if only...
...if only more of them were willing to actually stand down from office when they are old, grey and ready to let someone else step in
...if only more of the countries really practiced democracy
...if only there were suitable alternative candidates to rise up and take their places when they do step down
...if only tribal histories didn't get in the way
...if only
Just to prove the point about the dearth of decent leaders, also in the news this week, we hear about Charles Taylor, the ex-Liberian leader charged with war crimes; and about the appalling state of Nigerian jails (clearly lack of good leadership there); and how the Kenyan president is fighting to avoid appearing at the Hague regarding charges of crimes against humanity.
Add in all the corrupt African leaders we can name without having to read the papers, and it is quickly visible why there are so few candidates for the prize.
Africa is such an incredibly continent in so many ways - I've met some very inspiring and humbling people there on my visits, and indeed will be meeting more over the next few days. How wonderful it would be to think that one day the tide will turn, and there will be a recognition that good governance, unity, democracy and freedom for all is the better way forward; and that one day Mo Ibrahim will have the delightful task of having to choose the winner of his prize from a number of different candidates, rather than scraping the barrel for one, or just not awarding it at all.
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