JPM Scoops Political Leadership Award

President John Magufuli has scooped the 2018 Person of the Year-Political Leadership Award, thanks to great socio-economic progress that the government has registered under his tutelage.

The African Leadership Magazine (ALM) Persons of the Year Award is a vote-based awards programme, reserved for African business, political and diplomatic leaders. Dr Magufuli was announced the winner in the political leadership category by the publisher of ALM, Dr Ken Giam. 

President Magufuli garnered 62.66 per cent of the votes ahead of his Ghana counterpart Nana Akufo-Addo, who earned 18.11 per cent. The award gala dinner will be held on January 22, 2019, in Sandton, South Africa.

The National Leader of Nigeria’s All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was third placed with 10.41 per cent whilst South African President Cyril Ramaphosa came fourth with 8.82 per cent.

The 2018 year awards focused on four broad themes—Africans whose activities, policies and actions have contributed to investment into young people, jobs and wealth creation, promotion of sustainable peace development, delivering democratic values and promotion of Africa’s image globally.

Dr Giam unveiled the nominees and later winners at ALM’s corporate head office in the United Kingdom (UK). Nominations for the 2018 edition of the Persons of the Year awards attracted submissions from East, West, South, North and Southern Africa.

“The awards enjoy one of the most participatory processes as Africans get to decide who takes the coveted crown in different categories,” the organisers of the awards say on their website. 

ALM is published by African Leadership (UK) Limited, a UK registered company. The magazine focuses on bringing the best of Africa to the global audience, telling the African story from an African perspective while evolving solutions to peculiar challenges being faced by the continent today.

Since its maiden edition, it has grown to become the leading pan-African flagship leadership-focused publication read by over one million targeted international investors, business executives, government policy makers and multilateral agencies across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Europe, and US. 

The publisher said all the nominees had risen above the obvious challenges that their milieus have thrown at them to achieve greatness in their own unique ways but in different roles.

Since assuming power in November 2015, President Magufuli has proved to be a game-changer not only in Tanzania but in African politics in a wider perspective by purging graft and extravagant spending of public funds, among others. 

During his three years in office, Dr Magufuli-led government has scrapped from the payroll thousands of ghost workers and unqualified civil servants who had secured jobs using forged certificates.

Few months after assuming office, President Magufuli fired the top echelons at the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) for failure to collect revenues at the Dar es Salaam port.

Three years down the lane, the no nonsense leader has revived the then ailing national carrier Air Tanzania Limited Company (ATCL). The company now boasts of six new planes leased to it through the Tanzania Government Flight Agency (TGFA).

The free education policy for public primary and secondary schools which was introduced shortly after he assumed the presidency is also among factors that have won President Magufuli accolades from within and outside the country.

Excellent, Obasanjo tells JPM

The visiting statesman described Dr Magufuli as an exemplary leader in Africa, citing his efforts in spearheading the country’s economic development and safeguarding national interests. 

Dr Obasanjo made the remarks when he visited Dr Magufuli at the State House in Dar es Salaam, commending him for his fight against corruption and improved delivery of social services to wananchi (citizens).