I like the way the BBC broke the news on its programme, Focus on Africa on Thursday. It said: “And the winner of the Mo Ibrahim Leadership Prize is… And there is no winner!”
I laughed. But this is not a laughing matter. There is nothing funny about a damning report that found no hero in my country and continent. There is nothing to sheer learning that after scurrying through the 54 countries in the continent, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s prize committee, once again, could not find one former African Executive Head of State or Government, who left office in the last three years, who demonstrated exceptional leadership to merit the crown. And the mouth-watering prize money.
No doubt, the assessment will have its margin of errors. But despite its imperfection, it is sad that no former African leader did enough to leave legacies of good governance and elevated living standards. It is depressing to learn that none exhibited enough patriotism to leave convincing evidence of selfless service. This is the fifth time the Foundation’s award committee was returning a ZERO verdict. Yet, you do not need to look too far to locate the reasons. Greed, self-centredness and extremely low appetite for monuments of honour denied the leaders the crown. What a shame.
Instituted in 2007, the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership has been awarded in only four of its nine years existence – 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2014. Former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa got the honorary award in 2007. The four winning ex-Presidents are: Mozambique’s Joaquim Chissano (2007), Botswana’s Festus Mogae (2008), Cape Verde’s Pedro Piers (2011) and Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba (2014). At US$5 million, and with additional US$200,000 per year for life for the winner, the prize far outweighs the Nobel Prize at US$1.3 million.
Apart from the limitless opportunities that the award avails its laureates, the prize money, to me, should be enough to guarantee a recipient a blissful retirement. But most African leaders are just not interested. In a continent where leaders have chronic allergy for accountability, where some cannot distinguish between private and personal treasuries, and in a country like Nigeria where N1 billion (or $274 million) is chicken feed to looters, Mo Ibrahim’s prize money cannot impress.
But this is not just about money. It is about our time-tested values as Africans. It is about national pride. It is about wearing the garb of honour as exceptional role models for the continent. It is about continued relevance in Africa and the rest of the world long after the laureate has left office. It is about being right in the eyes of posterity and favoured by the forces of history.
In Nigeria, we have had three leaders who, in my estimation, could have won the prize – Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. You don’t have to agree with me, but to my mind, Obasanjo, during his two terms in office, delivered on good governance and accountability. But he shot himself in the foot with his satanic third term agenda. If he had not tried to manipulate the constitution in his bid to extend his tenancy in Aso Rock, if he had packed his baggage at the expiration of his tenancy, he would have emerged as one of the heroes of this democracy, and possibly end up as a Mo Ibrahim laureate. But he wanted to die in office. Please, don’t let President Robert Mugabe hear this.
Only God knows the heart of man. But from what we were able to see and measure, President Yar’Adua seemed to have aspired to be on the right side of history. But death, the debt of all men, cut his life and tenure short, and the nation mourned on end. He was one President in whom most Nigerians were well pleased.
Before President Muhammadu Buhari took power, last year, and began to open the Pandora box, many Nigerians, I included, thought President Jonathan was on a super highway to making history as that patriot who loved Nigeria so much that he did what many thought was a taboo in Africa. After being routed at the 2015 polls, President Jonathan not only conceded defeat to his nemesis, General Muhammadu Buhari, he also congratulated him! That unusual political behaviour earned him worldwide commendation. He seemed perfectly on track to becoming a cosmopolitan citizen; a citizen of the world. But with the mind-numbing exposure of his lieutenants who had almost sucked Nigeria’s life blood dry, stealing billions of dollars of our commonwealth to service their prodigal excesses, Jonathan lost it. Despite the current efforts of his propagandists, the man’s garment still smells like s**t. He lost the prize to his inability to rein in his thieving lieutenants; that is, assuming he never knew anything about the heist.
While marking its first anniversary at the saddle, last month, the Buhari Government made heart-rending disclosures on the mega looting that took place under Jonathan’s watch. Lai Mohammed, its Minister of Information, revealed that between May 29, 2015 and May 29, 2016, government had, under interim forfeiture of cash and assets, recovered N126.6 billion; US$9.1billion; 2.5 million Pounds Sterling; and 303,399.17 Euros. The funds awaiting repatriation from foreign jurisdictions totalled $321.32 million; 6.9 million Pounds and 11,826.11 Euros; while non-cash recoveries (i.e. farmlands, plots of land, uncompleted buildings, completed buildings, vehicles and maritime vessels) totalled 239.
With these mind-boggling disclosures, and still counting, would anyone be right to blame the Mo Ibrahim Prize Committee for turning its back against ex-President Jonathan? With stunning revelations as these, awards like the Mo Ibrahim Prize would be thousands of kilometres away from Jonathan, even if he is not found to have stolen or misappropriated a kobo.
The question now is: how can we return to those glorious days in leadership when people sought the greatest good of the greatest number of citizens, and not the number of mansions and billions in leading international currencies that they can accumulate? To achieve this, leaders must seek good name which the Bible says is better than silver and gold. They must work towards having good name and exhibit God-like character in private and public life.
Character, like Dr. Myles Munroe espoused in his book, The Power of Character in Leadership, is key to effective leadership. Lack of character, he posits, is the greatest obstacle to leadership success. Lack of character, I dare add, marks the genesis of all the chaos that we see. Leadership is the compass that guides a nation’s ship against turbulence and killer icebergs. It is the pathfinder that lights the way for a nation and the lamp that illuminates a nation’s path through progressive and innovative ideas, effective policies, transparency in budget implementation and project execution, among others.
In a nutshell, effective leadership makes things happen. If a nation dances Russian roulette all the time, taking one step forward and two back, like Nigeria has been doing since the advent of this democracy in 1999, check the character of its leadership. It is only a leadership without character that would steal not only for today and tomorrow, but also for generations unborn while the majority of citizens groan under gruelling poverty.
It is a godless leadership that pads budgets and makes anticipatory declaration of assets ahead of future looting while teachers and civil servants are owed eight to ten months in salary arrears in several states. It is a wicked leadership that goes on unnecessary jamborees while people die of hunger and preventable diseases under its nose. It is a leadership made in hell that fritters scarce resources while vulnerable people – the infirmed, the aged, children from poor homes, and pregnant women with limited means – lack access to basic necessities that sustain life; like quality healthcare, decent meals, habitable accommodation and quality education. Indeed, it is a leadership without moral force and clear vision that turns the other way as its citizens perish in penury and other ignoble circumstances. Sadly, this is a common phenomenon in Africa.
Therefore, my prayer, as I conclude this, is for God to give Nigeria and Africa leaders who have character, who fear God and love humanity. If they fear God, love humanity and have exemplary character, life would be good. Our continent would be transformed and the world would be a better place to live. Character, as Dr. Myles Munroe insists in his book, answers all things; especially in leadership.
Shola Oshunkeye is Managing Director and Editor-In-Chief of The Sun Publishing Ghana Limited.
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