For fearless war against corruption: Barrister Akere Muna wins Personality of The Year Award.

The award was handed to the illustrious lawyer and good governance crusader, during a ceremony in Yaounde, Saturday August 5. 

The recognition is that of The Voice Media Group. The event was the seventh anniversary celebration of the media group.

Akere’s recognition is based on the assessment of readers of the authoritative Bi-weekly newspaper. According to organisers of the award, the distinction is in recognition of the outstanding lawyer, “for fearless championing anti-corruption fight in Cameroon and exposing the Glencore scandal in Cameroon’s gas and oil sector”.

Speaking during the award ceremony, Ngah Christian Mbipgo, President of the award jury, who also doubles as Publisher of The Guardian Post, lauded Akere Muna for his extraordinary strides across the globe. 

Ngah also saluted the audacity and courage of the editorial team of The Voice newspaper, despite the glaring threats and obstacles in the media landscape.

Akere Muna dedicates award to suffering masses 

For the Personality of The Year, Akere Muna, the goal is to keep fighting for the oppressed and the voiceless. 

He expressed delight in being honoured for his fight against corruption, disclosing that: “I am humbled by this award. I have been involved in investigations concerning Glencore”. 

The recognition, he nonetheless said, “is dedicated to all those who are suffering from the cancer which corruption is. Those who suffer from corruption are the weakest and the poorest. This award makes me feel that we have a great country and that together we can put an end to this so that people can be better off. We can have our roads, hospitals and other services. I am humbled and honoured that this newspaper has thought it wise to honour me”.

Challenging media environment 

The acclaimed lawyer thanked The Voice newspaper for singling him out and prayed God to cause the media house to continue to grow. 

“I think the recognition of The Voice after seven years is obvious. They are going three times a week. Journalists and newspaper Publishers in our country are having a very rough time, artists too are having a very rough time. It is not easy,” he said but prayed that: “The Voice should grow from strength to strength”.

Those who lived the event cheered in admiration as the selfless man of law walked to the stage to receive his award Saturday. 

Many among them, admirers of the work Akere Muna has been doing within Cameroon and across the globe, described his award as merited.

Akere Muna & landmark uncovering of Glencore scandal

Barrister Akere Muna, a no-nonsense global influencer first came to the fore with reports of bribery amounting to over seven billion FCFA, involving certain state officials and companies in the first half of 2022. But he had been on the matter since 2018.

When he first broke the news, critics and cynics tried to argue before being forced to bury their heads in shame as legal processes went underway across the globe, exposing what had tarnished Cameroon’s image. Till date, he has remained the man pushing for justice to take its course.

Thanks to his campaign and whistleblowing, the United States Justice Department and the United Kingdom, UK Serious Fraud Office took interest in the matter involving the Anglo-Swiss multinational mining and commodities company, Glencore.

If not for Akere Muna, the nation and other African compatriots would not have known that Glencore flew cash worth over 27 million US dollars in private jets to bribe officials in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan Cote D’Ivoire and Nigeria.

With the company having pleaded guilty in courts abroad, Akere Muna has been raised to high Heavens for remaining steadfast and engaging legal processes in local courts to unmask the persons in Cameroon who received such huge bribes.

He has remained active, bringing pressure to bear on every institution tasked with handling such cases and seeking justice for the Cameroonian populace. 

Given his never-seen tenacity and unquenchable appetite for justice, readers of The Voice newspaper and others who have joined in hailing the anti-corruption icon, have classified the Glencore affair as one of the unforgettable incidents that shaped 2022 and still continue to drive narratives nationally and internationally this 2023.

For shouldering such a campaign to unmask wrongdoing on a national and international scale that has robbed the nation of scarce resources and tarnished its image, Barrister Akere Muna, going by The Voice Media Group, made his mark so unique at a level that he could not be ignored.  

In celebration of his peculiar award as the major character in nation building in 2022, many compatriots have in addition to the award of Saturday mounted rooftops to further congratulate Akere Muna.

Akere Muna moving glory to glory

That Akere Muna is one of Cameroon’s movers and shakers is not an issue subject to debate. 

Akere Muna has and is still being honoured in several countries of the globe and sought to put institutions and governments in tandem with best practices daily.

Akere has shattered the maxim that a prophet is not known at home. He is held in very high esteem by Cameroonians across the linguistic divide for having elected to fight for the masses.   

The Personality of The Year Award of this weekend, adds to many others he has had in his globetrotting to contribute in building the nations of the world.

A few weeks ago, it was the African Union, AU, through its Economic Social and Culture Council, ECOSOC, that named Akere Muna pioneer Presiding Officer of its annual Citizens’ Forum on Democracy and Digital Governance in Africa.

This was during an international confab in Nairobi Kenya. He was elevated to that coveted position and handed such a mission by the All-Africa Conference of Churches, AACC, the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa, CoDA and the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, all institutions that organised the international conference.

Akere Muna breaking records, building nations & institutions

Akere Muna is a global citizen on account of his multi-layered skills and knowledge in several contemporary issues. 

He has proven repeatedly across decades that he has what it takes to do the things he has been doing and achieving phenomenal results.

Growing from a mere lawyer to an anti-corruption leader, to becoming an international counsel, international anti-corruption icon and global consultant on governance is not a given. 

Analysts say and rightly so that, with Akere Muna, it has been proven that, it takes a man with a burning desire to serve humanity, rare courage and determination to rise to such a pedestal.

Akere Muna’s inspiring track record 

His is a journey that started after being called to the Bar of England and Whales in 1978 and the Cameroon Bar in 1992. 

Today, his curriculum vitae is a microcosm of his many international engagements with governments and global institutions.

He is Principal Technical Adviser for the United Nations Development Program-UNDP, anti-Corruption Program the Democratic Republic of Congo, International Legal Consultant Good Governance and Anti-Corruption for the Presidency of the Republic of Togo, Alternate Chair African Union’s Working Group on a Common African Position on Asset Recovery (CAPAR), Member of the International Council of Transparency International, International Legal Consultant Good Governance and Anti-Corruption for the UNDP in DRC.

This former President of the Pan African Lawyer’ Union, has also served as  Member of the Commission for implementation of the principles of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Cameroon, Member, Interim Standing Committee of the ECOSOCC of the African Union, Member, Board of Directors Transparency International, Chairman, Ethics Committee Transparency International, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Ecobank Cameroon and Chairperson of the Eminent Persons Panel of the African Peer Review Mechanism.

He was designated member of the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, chaired by former South African leader, Thabo Mbeki.

Akere is also Chairperson of the Vetting Panel of International Association of Athletics Federations, First Sanctions Commissioner of the African Development Bank Group, Coordinator of the Coalition of African Chapters of Transparency International, Legal Consultant to the World Bank and UNHCR, President of the Commission of Accreditation of the Pan African Lawyers Union and Founding President of Transparency International Cameroon. He was at one time Member of the Arbitration Commission GICAM and Member of National Ad-hoc Commission for the fight against Corruption.

The former President of the Cameroon Bar Association also at one time served as Member of the National Commission for Harmonisation and Law Reform, Member of National Tax Fraud Commission, lecturer at the National School of Administration and Magistracy, ENAM and Member of the National Criminal Procedure Code Commission among others.

Born August 18, 1952, Barrister Akere Muna, a native of Nyen-Mbo in Mbengwi Subdivision, Momo Division of the North West Region, studied at the American University in Washington DC. He also holds a diploma in Maritime Law from the International Centre for Ocean Development Canada from the Mohamed V University Rabat, Morocco.