Politics
Why Jonathan failed to win $5m Mo Ibrahim Prize
Allegations of corruption under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration might have been the reason he failed to win the prestigious $5million Mo Ibrahim Prize.
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation on Thursday announced that no former African leader had met the “very high bar” for one of the world’s richest prizes.
Read also: Jonathan’s aide, Dudafa, arraigned for money laundering
Since established, the Ibrahim Prize has been awarded only four times in the decade and many people had thought former President Jonathan will win the award this time but he failed despite meeting a key criterion.
As a former African Executive Head of State who was democratically elected, served his constitutionally mandated term, demonstrated exceptional leadership, and willingly left office, it is unclear why Jonathan failed to win the prize.
Ripples Nigeria though, gathered that allegations of massive corruption under his administration which are presently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, may have cost him the prize.
While ex-South African President Nelson Mandela was awarded an honorary prize in 2007, so far, only the former presidents of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano; Botswana’s Festus Mogae; Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba and Pedro Piers of Cape Verde have clinched the award.
RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...