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$5M African Leadership Prize Goes to ... Nobody

Committee passes over all three candidates, doesn't award $5M to any

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 19, 2009 2:43 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Nobody has won this year's $5 million Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, the committee responsible for picking a winner announced today. That’s an enormous snub to the people eligible for the award, who include former heads of state Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, and John Kufuor of Ghana. The committee professed to have “full respect” for them but said, without elaborating, that it hadn’t been able to pick a winner, the AP reports.

Only democratically elected leaders who’ve left office recently are eligible, making candidates scarce. “I would imagine that they are thinking about raising the bar and having raised the bar they have found that no one could get over” it, said one professor. He contends that it should have been awarded anyway, but others disagree. “It hasn’t been a great year for democracy in Africa,” said a Human Rights Watch counselor. “Maybe that’s what they were tying to say.”

Mo Ibrahim speaks at a press conference in London, Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. It was announced that there is no winner for the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership this year.
Mo Ibrahim speaks at a press conference in London, Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. It was announced that there is no winner for the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership this year.   (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki was one of three eligible leaders passed over for the award.
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki was one of three eligible leaders passed over for the award.   (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 12 comments
Rob
Oct 20, 2009 3:16 AM CDT
So a you don't have to award a prize if there is no one who earned it. Bravo, Africa! You're leadership in this area should give the rest of the world pause.
doingtherightthing
Oct 19, 2009 9:59 AM CDT
@jayster....a typical attack by a leftwing troll. If, they can't counter you with dialog they'll hit you with; "Your a racists" for not agreeing with them......
Timinator2K
Oct 19, 2009 9:55 AM CDT
Why couldn't Obama received this African leadership award when he's accomplished exactly ZERO in nine months to win a Nobel Peace Prize?? At least he's half-Kenyan and had that issue sewed up...or, did that committee discriminate against him for being half-Kansan?!

 
Africa • Nigeria • South Africa • awards • Thabo Mbeki • Ghana • head of state • Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership • Olusegun Obasanjo • John Kufuor

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