Former US Ambassador, and Chairman International Advisory Board of African Leadership Magazine, North America -Joe Beasley, recently commended former president of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan for his commitment towards deepening democracy in Nigeria and by extension Africa.
In his speech at the Investiture of Goodluck Jonathan as the African Leadership Magazine Person of the Year which took place recently in Johannesburg, South Africa, Ambassador Beasley noted that the annual event of the magazine is aimed at showcasing African leaders who have displayed exceptional leadership qualities, impacted positively on lives, and advanced the course of democracy and development in Africa and therefore reinstated that the ex- president’s attribute which is uncommon among African leaders must be imbibed and promoted for the sake of future generations and democracy in Africa.
The ex-president who defeated the former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, former Lagos State of Nigeria Governor and National Leader of the Nigeria ruling All Progressive Congress, Ahmed Tinubu, the founder, ECONET Wireless, Strive Masiyiwa and the President, African Development Bank(AfDB),Akinwumi Adesina to emerge the 2015 African Leadership Magazine Person of the year was selected considering his commitment towards deepening democracy on the continent-a characteristics which is uncommon among most African leaders at the highest level today.
The selection committee chaired by former Pro Tempore President of the Liberian Senate and Chairman of the 2015 African Leadership Person of the year selection committee, Cletus Wortoson, placed high premium on the ex- president’s commitment to free and fair elections and further conceded defeat in the 2015 Nigerian general elections, a move which magically averted bloodshed and looming anarchy in the world’s most popular black nation.The further observed that there is no one best suited at the moment than Your Excellency to advise the continent’s on the merits of good governance and enduring democracy.
In his acceptance speech, Former President Goodluck Jonathan who was represented at the event by former Minister of National Planning in his administration Dr. Abubakar Suleman, thanked the board for finding him worthy of such great honor. He however reiterated the need for African leaders to always put the interest of the nation first as politics should not played with minimal regard to the chastity of lives.“As I have always said, my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian and I meant it”
Dr. Jonathan further pointed that the emergence of the new Africa can only be achieved through a collective efforts geared towards growth and development of which leadership is a key factor while urging African leaders to emulate the qualities of leaders like Nelson Mandela of Blessed memory.
Michael Shokunbi
The need to see the list of selection committee members, for this award could not be overemphasized, public assessment of each member cannot be more imperative.
Beats my imagination, how loosing and accepting defeat in an election qualifies for advancing democracy with contribution to an undemocratic Africa, albeit an award for such faulty claim, with want of evidence
Recent events in Nigeria, have showcased Jonathan’s attempt with efforts to scuttle democratic process, in the last election that ousted him, through fraudulent practices with the unprecedented pillage of the nation’s treasury to execute a manipulated electoral process
Billions of dollars were taken from the nation’s coffers shared amongst his cronies and supporters to return him to power
His efforts to have collation of election results stopped in process, like it happened in 1993, which robbed Chief Abiola of his electoral victory, which put us in the situation we are today and still trying to recover from
It is on record how Erubebe, one of Jonathan Goodlucks’s acolytes tried to stop announcement of the presidential results, but for the intervention of security operative, application of wisdom and maturity on part of electoral officers, the story would have been different today
Events and records indicated, showed how Jonathan and co. plotted to circumvent democracy, which is the award he should have gotten and not for advancement of democracy anywhere
The committee is a suspect, the undercurrent that presented Jonathan Goodluck for this award is erratic faulty inconceivable unusual and debased