Former President of the Republic of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor, says even though he failed to win the Mo Ibrahim award, he is not embittered but rather, privileged to have been named in the final list of distinguished nominees for the coveted prize.
Speaking on behalf of the Ex-president, in an interview with Kwami Sefa-Kayi on Peace Fm�s �Kokrokoo�, Mr. Frank Agyekum said, the ex- President was �excited and appreciated the fact that he was nominated for the Prestigious Mo Ibrahim award for good governance.�
�He would have been happy if he had received the prize money of $5million but he is not down-hearted and is not regretful�he had regarded the award as a bonus for his 8-year rule if he had won it�he does not know why no one was named as this year�s recipient,� he told Peace Fm.
Mr. Agyekum further stated that he does not believe that former President Kufuor�s was undemocratic during his tenure as President, as portrayed by some people, adding that �looking at the criteria used in selecting the nominees, Kufuor was exceptional as he had high marks in all aspect.�
�Talk of good governance, respect for human right, rule of law and expanding educational and health centres�Kufuor was pivotal in all of these�he addressed all these sectors of the economy and even travelled to other African countries to help resolve conflicts and other issues�,� he added.
The Mo Ibrahim award is traditionally given to a democratically elected leader from Sub-Saharan Africa who has served his or her term and handed over to another successfully elected government.
South African�s Thabo Mbeki and Ghana�s John Agyekum Kufuor were the frontrunners for this year�s award. The winners receive $5m (�3m) over 10 years and then $200,000 a year life for life.
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