PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba yesterday became N$58 million richer after he scooped the 2014 Ibrahim Prize for “good governance” in Africa, an award a political analyst said was well deserved.
The Ibrahim Prize is considered the world’s most valuable and lucrative individual award in the world.
Pohamba scooped the award after Cape Verde’s former President Pedro De Verona Rodrigues Pires won it in 2011. The prize has only been awarded four times – in 2007, 2008, 2011 and in 2014 – due to a lack of suitable candidates.
President Pohamba will get US$5 million (N$58 million) spread over 10 years and after that he will receive US$200 000 (N$2,3 million) per year for life.
That means the outgoing President will receive N$2,3 million per year from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation in addition to the tax exempted N$2,1 million annual salary which he will earn as his retirement package. Permanent secretary in the Office of the President Samuel /Goagoseb said Pohamba welcomed the Mo Ibrahim Prize which he described as an award to the Namibian nation.
“The President is humbled by the award of this prestigious prize. He has accepted the award on behalf of the Namibian people, as their commitment to peace and stability,” /Goagoseb said.
/Goagoseb said Pohamba reckons the prize will enable him to further pursue objectives of his Foundation established last year to support students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds to study agriculture.
Salim Ahmed Salim, the chair of the prize committee said “during the decade of Hifikepunye Pohamba’s presidency, Namibia’s reputation has been cemented as a well-governed, stable and inclusive democracy with strong media freedom and respect for human rights”.
He said Pohamba’s focus in forging national unity at a key stage of Namibia’s consolidation of democracy and social and economic development impressed the prize committee.
“His ability to command the confidence and the trust of his people is exemplary. During the decade of his presidential mandate, he demonstrated sound and wise leadership. At the same time, he maintained his humility throughout his presidency,” he said. Mo Ibrahim, the founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, said the Foundation is pleased that President Pohamba was selected as the 2014 Mo Ibrahim laureate.
“He has served his country since its independence and his leadership has renewed his people’s trust in democracy. His legacy is that of strengthened institutions through the various initiatives introduced during his tenure in office. He is a role model for the continent,” Ibrahim said.
Joseph Diescho said Pohamba “exemplifies the calibre of leaders Africa needs. Those who don’t cling to power. I’m not surprised by the award. He deserves it. He maintained peace and never shunned any human being”.
Diescho said President-Elect Hage Geingob, who will take over as President in three weeks’ time, will have to improve on what Pohamba has achieved in order to avoid destroying the “legacy”.
Critics said there have been few changes under Pohamba’s tenure and, if anything, social challenges such as skyrocketing property prices, widespread cronyism and unemployment increased.
Diescho said Pohamba is not to blame for this as he has set up institutions in his governance system responsible for implementation, and that success or failure cannot be attributed to one individual alone but to everyone involved in the system.
Pohamba joins Presidents Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique (2007), Festus Mogae of Botswana (2008) and Pedro Pires, Cape Verde (2011) as recipients of the prize. Former South African president Nelson Mandela was made the inaugural honorary laureate in 2007.
Congress of Democrats (CoD) politician Tsudao Gurirab also congratulated Pohamba saying the award sets high standards for others to emulate.
“During his 10 years at the head of our government, he has nurtured a convivial atmosphere in running the State, seeking the views and input of all. He brought humility, decency and integrity to his functions,” he said.
He is known as a unifier and a tolerant leader. An example is when he offered the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) an escape route in 2013, thereby diffusing tension threatening the party.
Some of his achievements include pushing for gender equality in the ruling party, a move which will drastically increase the number of women in the National Assembly.
Under him primary education became free in 2013.
He is lauded for establishing the Anti-Corruption Commission and is not known for being a flashy, but recent revelations that his family was raking in millions of dollars worth of State contracts, have compromised the President who defended himself by saying he does not have control over business deals involving his children.
His N$35 million retirement mansion was also questioned as a waste of public funds.
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