Lagos — After considering several candidates the Mo Ibrahim Foundation has said that the prize for good leadership in Africa will not be awarded this year. The prize is worth 2.9m Euros, about $5m and is an annual award.

The first winner of the award which is given to past presidents who showed exemplary leadership was former President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique. Last year's winner was Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana. It was reported that there were three favourites for the award this year namely John Kuffour of Ghana, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.

Expectedly, the decision of the Foundation has generated speculations.

Those who believe in the three favourites have wondered whether the sponsor of the award was losing interest in the project or whether financial concerns influenced the decision of the Foundation not to give the award to any African leader. The sponsor, Dr. Mo Ibrahim had said at the start of the award three years ago that the prize award committee headed by Kofi-Annan, former UN Secretary General is independent and there is no reason to doubt him. Nevertheless events in Africa in recent times show more examples of bad leadership and leaders who do not deserve the award than those who do.

In neighbouring Niger, President Mamadou Tandja has conducted a referendum to give himself a third term in office despite world-wide condemnation.

African Union President Muammar Gaddafi recently celebrated with fanfare his 40 years in office with no prospect of a democratic election or succession in Libya.

Omar Bongo of Gabon died after about 40 years in office and was succeeded in a sham election by his son thus putting Gabon under the heels of a Bongo dynasty.

Robert Mugabe bestrides Zimbabwe like a colossus and treats the coalition with Prime Minister Ratsvrangai with disdain and contempt even though the latter won the presidential elections in that country last year. And in Egypt one of the oldest members of the African Union, President Housni Mubarak has organized elections under a one-party, one man rule for decades.

These then are examples of African leaders who have clung tenaciously to power in the belief that political stability is to be desired and maintained at all cost at the expense of the democratic values and human rights of their people.

We recall that during US President Barak Obama's visit to neighbouring Ghana recently, he said Africa does not need strong leaders but good ones. Now the Mo Ibrahim Foundation has confirmed that we have no such leaders.

A continent that is so rich in natural resources has been plagued by destructive leadership, motivated mainly by greed. Most African leaders are open or disguised dictators. Some of them have personalised their countries and appropriated the countries' resources in such a greedy manner that some of these shameless leaders are richer than their countries.

In the example we often cite Africa's geography and environment are in direct contrast to its political and social circumstances. According to observations made by the British charity Oxfam, development efforts have been in place all over the continent throughout the past two decades, yet Africans continue to grow poorer with each passing year.

Africa is blessed with all the resources that make for greatness - human, material, and ecological. The continent harbours more than 40 percent of the world's potential hydroelectric power supply; the bulk of the world's diamond and chromium resources; 30 percent of the uranium; 50 percent of the world's gold; 90 percent of its cobalt; 50 percent of its phosphates; 40 percent of its platinum; 7.5 percent of its coal; 8 percent of its known petroleum reserves; 12 percent of its natural gas; 3 percent of its iron ore; 64 percent of the world's manganese, 13 percent of its copper, vast bauxite, nickel and lead resources, and millions of hectares of untilled farmlands.

Overall then we cannot but agree with the Mo Ibrahim foundation that empirically there is dearth of good leadership in Africa right now. What is needed is for African leaders to govern responsibly, organize free and fair elections, be responsive to the needs and aspirations of their electorate and citizens and be transparent and accountable in their actions. It is only then that the Mo Ibrahim prize for good leadership in Africa can beckon to a worthy recipient. For now we congratulate the Foundation for its bravery and pragmatism in not awarding the prize this year.