ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Organizers of African Heritage Concert and Awards are set to confer an award on Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, as the first leader to concede power to an opposition government on the continent.
To be honored also are: former President of Tanzania, the late John Magufuli; Vice President of Liberia, Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor; former President of Botswana, Lt.-Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama (retd.), and many other prominent Africans.
This was announced in a statement, by the organizers who noted that the awards ceremony will hold in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, on 1 April.
According to Heritage Times (HT), The African Heritage Concert and Awards will celebrate and honour distinguished African personalities who have dignified themselves through remarkable achievements across the globe.
The organizers said that their actions and activities, have made it imperative to foster the African culture of excellence and promote Afro-centrism.
They said the awards will be a celebration and global recognition of outstanding achievements recorded by Africans, including those residing in the Diaspora, in the areas of business, politics, philanthropy, entertainment/arts and culture, science and technology, and social innovation.
Also, the statement noted that Dr. Jonathan, who was Nigeria’s President from 2010 to 2015, would be honoured with the African Democracy and Peace Icon Award.
Goodluck Jonathan’s name, the organisers said, is written in gold for being the first incumbent Nigerian President to cede power peacefully to the opposition in the aftermath of an election.
“I’ve always affirmed, nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian,” Dr. Jonathan had said in response to the declaration of the 2015 presidential election results.
Jonathan’s administration brought on board professionals and technocrats, including Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the current Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and President of Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, whose expertise helped in revamping Nigeria’s economy.