12 former African presidents for Mo Ibrahim Award

Accra, April 20, GNA - About 12 former African Presidents are likely to be considered for the second Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership slated for October this year.

The names of the selected former African leaders by the Foundation were not disclosed on Sunday by members of the "Ibrahim Prize Index of African Governance Committee" who are currently in Accra on a tour. The award created by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, a not-for profit organization, is an African initiative that seeks to promote and recognize good governance in Africa. It is the largest annually awarded prize in world.

The Foundation is the vision of Dr. Mo Ibrahim, a renowned Sudanese business leader and founder of Celtel International, an African telecommunication company.

The first award of five million dollars over ten years was won by Mr Joaquim Alberto Chissano, former Mozambican president. The Foundation would also grant him 200,000 dollars per year for ten years towards public interest activities and good causes espoused by Mr. Chissano.

Mr Kofi Annan, Former United Nations Secretary General who chairs the Prize Index Committee, presented the award to President Chissano after he was chosen as the most distinguished leader with unique passion to promote good governance on the Continent.

Dr Ibrahim, who is leading the Committee, on Sunday reiterated that it was time to find solutions for Africa problems and that could only happen through good governance.

"The problem in Africa is good governance. We can discover all the oil and good resources, but if we don't have good leadership, it will not take us anywhere," he said.

Explaining the 58 Prize Index measurements for the award, Dr Ibrahim said they were based on five key areas of good governance. These are safety and security; rule of law, transparency and anti-corruption; participation and human rights; sustainable economic opportunity; and human development.

He said the Index aimed to strengthen governance in Africa in order to improve the lives of Africans everywhere.

Three of the members of the Index Committee travelling with Dr Ibrahim are Ms Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, former Managing Director of the World Bank and Chair of the UN's Global Commission on International Migration and Mrs Aicha Bah Diallo, former Guinean Minister of Education and Special Advisor to the Director-General of UNESCO.