Yayi Defeats President Jonathan As African Union Chairman

President Goodluck Jonathan, has been defeated by his counterpart from Benin Republic,Thomas Boni Yayi in the race for the chairmanship of African Union (AU).

A group of West African nations led by Ghana earlier opposed the chairmanship under President Goodluck Jonathan.

President  Jonathan had injected himself into the contest as a last minute attempt to become the chair of AU but his effort was stoutly opposed by Ghana leading several West African nations that claimed Mr. Boni’s nomination was already agreed upon at a mini-summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

However, it was not all sad stories for Nigeria at the AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where the election took place as a Nigerian, Prof. Oluwole Daniel Makinde, emerged the winner of the AU Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Award.

Yayi would be occupying the chairmanship seat of the AU for the next one year, succeeding the President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

Nguema congratulated Yayi after the election.

It was however not all tales of woes for Nigeria when Makinde was pronounced the winner of the African Union Kwame Nkrumah 2011 Scientific Award for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation.

Jonathan in a congratulatory message to Makinde described the achievement as “a source of pride to all Nigerians, particularly worthy of emulation by the younger generation.”

The award was presented yesterday at the African Union Commission Headquarters during the formal opening ceremony of the 18th AU Summit.

According to a statement by the presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan noted that Makinde is “a very gifted scholar, an achiever, and a man of impressive credentials,” adding, “having a Nigerian win the prestigious Nkrumah award for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, is something that should make every Nigerian proud.”

The African Union launched the AU Scientific Award Programme on September 9, 2008.

Renamed as the “African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards” in July 2010, the award “is one of the holistic and deliberate measures taken by the Commission to maintain science and technology on top of Africa’s development, co-operation and political agenda…The objective of the programme is to give out scientific awards to top African scientists for their scientific achievements and valuable discoveries and findings.”

Makinde, who obtained his B.Sc and M.Sc degrees from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), and a Doctorate from the University of Bristol, is currently a Senior Professor of Applied Mathematics and Director of Post graduate Studies at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in South Africa.

Makinde’s research work has contributed immensely to the upliftment of previously disadvantaged groups in Africa, especially in the area of mathematical science research and training.

Jonathan observed that Makinde’s “research work and its impact is a clear demonstration of the value of research and technology in the development process as well as the qualitative role that can be played by scientists in the overall advancement of the continent.”

He enjoined other Nigerian scientists to draw inspiration from Makinde’s example and to continue to make the country proud.