Mo Ibrahim On Kwaku 'One-On-One'

Mo Ibrahim

Sudanese telecom billionaire, Dr. Mo Ibrahim, is Kwaku Sakyi-Addo's guest on 'Kwaku One-on-One' this Sunday, November 29 at 3pm on TV3.

Dr. Ibrahim is the founder of the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership which awards five million dollars, over 10 years, to an ex-African leader who leaves an excellent governance record, plus $200,000 per year for life thereafter.  

A further $200,000 per year to charitable causes chosen by the winner may be considered by the Foundation.  The cash prize exceeds that of the Nobel Peace Prize.  The interview with Dr. Ibrahim was taped in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  Previous winners are Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique and Botswana's Festus Mogae.

The decision this year by the independent prize committee not to name a winner generated controversy all over Africa, but especially in Ghana, where the former President John Kufuor had been tipped by some analysts to win.  Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Tijan Kabbah of Sierra Leone were all eligible for the award which was established three years ago.  

The judging panel includes former UN chief Kofi Annan, ex-President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari and Mohammed el Barradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), all Nobel laureates.   Dr. Ibrahim earned a PhD in mobile telecom technology over 30 years ago.  In 1998, he founded MSI-Cellular Investments, later renamed Celtel, and now Zain. He sold Celtel for $3.4 billion in 2005.