Mo Ibrahim, should stop the African Governance Award
Mfonobong Nsehe
November 05, 2009
When Mo Ibrahim launched the annual $5 million prize for exemplary leadership in Africa, he had good intentions. He wanted the money to motivate African leaders to shun corruption, greed and self-interest and work in the interest of the people they are supposed to serve.
But truth is, $5 million is not exactly motivation enough for an African leader who controls billions of dollars of a country´s resources. Actually, $5 million for the average African leader is peanuts. He can make that money in a single day by giving oil-drilling concessions to foreign oil companies or engaging in some shady business deal on behalf of the nation- like many African leaders do.
While Mo´s intentions in giving the prize was well motivated, it is highly unlikely that his money will do much in solving Africa´s leadership problems.
It is wrong to assume that the morality of African leaders can be bought with money. We must realize that you can never solve a greed problem with money. Let me promise you that every African president or leader, will in one way or the other, leave office with way more than $5 million, probably through allocating lucrative government contracts to their shell companies, receiving hefty bribes from foreign corporations willing to do business in the country, and by outright withdrawing and stealing of funds and stashing them in foreign accounts just like Abacha, Chiluba and others have done in the past.
What African leaders need is a paradigm shift in their thinking. Current and future leaders need to be persuaded to put the nation first, before their own selfish interests. If the Mo Ibrahim foundation can find a way to do that, then that would be the solution. Money won´t solve the African leadership problem.
Right now in Africa, there are only a handful of credible leaders in Africa. Good African leadership died with the likes of Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Obafemi Awolowo and a few others. Right now, all we have are miscreants, and Political no-gooders who are only in government for their own selfish interest. These leaders controls billions of dollars of their nation´s resources, and can easily steal billions as they´ve always done. $5 million will not mean anything to them.
To ensure good leadership for Africa in the future, you need to focus on educating the young people now. Many of my friends want to go into politics in the future because they think it is the surest, easiest way to get rich. Their mentality has to be redirected. Scrap the leadership prize, and instead, start thinking of innovative ways to reach out to the young people (who by the way are the future African leaders of tomorrow), and encourage them to shun egocentricity and embrace good leadership. They should be lectured without end on the importance of good leadership, and encouraged to think beyond their personal self-interests when going into power.
If this can be done, I believe that Africa´s leadership problem will be solved. It won´t be solved by giving a few people $5 million.
Have I challenged you, Mo?
Contact the writer on mfon.nsehe@gmail.com
But truth is, $5 million is not exactly motivation enough for an African leader who controls billions of dollars of a country´s resources. Actually, $5 million for the average African leader is peanuts. He can make that money in a single day by giving oil-drilling concessions to foreign oil companies or engaging in some shady business deal on behalf of the nation- like many African leaders do.
While Mo´s intentions in giving the prize was well motivated, it is highly unlikely that his money will do much in solving Africa´s leadership problems.
It is wrong to assume that the morality of African leaders can be bought with money. We must realize that you can never solve a greed problem with money. Let me promise you that every African president or leader, will in one way or the other, leave office with way more than $5 million, probably through allocating lucrative government contracts to their shell companies, receiving hefty bribes from foreign corporations willing to do business in the country, and by outright withdrawing and stealing of funds and stashing them in foreign accounts just like Abacha, Chiluba and others have done in the past.
What African leaders need is a paradigm shift in their thinking. Current and future leaders need to be persuaded to put the nation first, before their own selfish interests. If the Mo Ibrahim foundation can find a way to do that, then that would be the solution. Money won´t solve the African leadership problem.
Right now in Africa, there are only a handful of credible leaders in Africa. Good African leadership died with the likes of Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Obafemi Awolowo and a few others. Right now, all we have are miscreants, and Political no-gooders who are only in government for their own selfish interest. These leaders controls billions of dollars of their nation´s resources, and can easily steal billions as they´ve always done. $5 million will not mean anything to them.
To ensure good leadership for Africa in the future, you need to focus on educating the young people now. Many of my friends want to go into politics in the future because they think it is the surest, easiest way to get rich. Their mentality has to be redirected. Scrap the leadership prize, and instead, start thinking of innovative ways to reach out to the young people (who by the way are the future African leaders of tomorrow), and encourage them to shun egocentricity and embrace good leadership. They should be lectured without end on the importance of good leadership, and encouraged to think beyond their personal self-interests when going into power.
If this can be done, I believe that Africa´s leadership problem will be solved. It won´t be solved by giving a few people $5 million.
Have I challenged you, Mo?
Contact the writer on mfon.nsehe@gmail.com
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