Akere Muna wins The Guardian Post Man of The Year Award.

The international icon of great multidimensional import received the prestigious award at a crowd pulling ceremony at Bengo Hotel, Ebolowa, South Region, on Saturday February 17.

Beyond the fanfare and celebrations that characterised the ceremony, Akere Muna, a no-nonsense personality who hates wrongdoing with passion, left billions of his admirers across the globe and Cameroonians in particular, hoping for better days ahead. 

The former Cameroon Bar Association President, said besides the recognition for his fight against corruption and wrongdoing, he won’t rest until the identities of State officials who received billions in bribes from the Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company, GLENCORE, are named, shamed and punished.

He was emphatic that when “you do things, you don’t think about an award”, but expressed delight that, “people realised what you are doing”.

Akere Muna disclosed that: “I have been doing the investigation about GLENCORE in the last four years. I am continuing still. So, I am grateful and I am happy…”.

He thanked readers of The Guardian Post for having singled him out as the main character that shaped the nation in 2023. 

Akere Muna, who is widely known as Cameroon’s “Mr Clean,” across the globe, also extended a message of congratulations to the management of The Guardian Post for running the nation’s lone newspaper that publishes on all seven days of the week.

Incredible honour

For Akere Muna, “being recognised as the Man of The Year by the esteemed The Guardian Post and its readers, is such an incredible honor. I am genuinely humbled. A big shout-out to The Guardian Post for bestowing this prestigious distinction upon me. I am truly grateful”.

‘Top-notch scammers in GLENCORE scandal must be identified’

In a moving, reassuring and unwavering message on his X handle, formerly known as Twitter, Akere Muna vowed not to rest until he gets to the root of the GLENCORE scandal. 

“Rest assured, I won't let up until we uncover the identities of those anonymous top-notch scammers over at SONARA and SNH that GLENCORE shamelessly admitted to bribing. It's time to hold them accountable for their actions,” he stated. 

Akere Muna, whose integrity has seen him continue to be solicited across the globe like hot cake, said he couldn’t look away while such high-level corruption go on, in a context where most Cameroonians live in penury. 

He shared the unshaken view that there should be consequences for wrongdoing.

“I was absolutely compelled to delve into this colossal GLENCORE corruption scandal! I mean, seriously, how on earth can this outrageously corrupt company just carry-on doing business in Cameroon without any consequences?” the anti-corruption campaigner of impeccable standing questioned. Going by him, the development, “truly boggles the mind”. 

Why, how Akere Muna shaped 2023

That Akere Muna was the nation’s top character in 2023 when it comes to defending public interest also won the admiration of The Guardian Post readers across the globe.

When the award jury, comprising seasoned journalists, lawyers, magistrates and civil society actors catalogued the votes, Akere’s towering positive contribution to nation building was unmatched. 

Thus, the distinction of The Guardian Post 2023 Man of The Year Award, the jury said, is in recognition of Akere Muna’s “fearless and outstanding fight against bad governance and curruption, especially in bringing the GLENCORE scandal to limelight and holding public authorities to account”.

Given court proceedings at the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office, SFO, that established GLENCORE’s wrongdoing in complicity with senior officials at major state corporations, Akere Muna’s dogged crusade for the common good has continued to gain more respect.

When he first mooted the scandal, spin-doctors tried to twist things around but the truth came out, putting naysayers to shame. 

But given that Akere Muna has continued to push for the local realities of the scandal to be laid bare, the agreement among readers of The Guardian Post in voting him Man of The Year, was total and loud.

Akere Muna & matchless power of consistency

That Akere Muna sits on golden platform across the world is not subject to debate. Such have come on the wings of his consistency and awe-inspiring integrity.

Governments and multinationals within Cameroon and the world, the United Nations, UN, and other institutions seeking to make best practices a norm, have not ceased seeking inputs and counsels from this first-rate global citizen of Cameroonian descend.

Akere Muna, as a citizen, lawyer and good governance advocate among other functions he performs, has stayed off controversies. He has never stopped fighting for the masses. 

His love for Cameroon has kept him present in the heart of millions of citizens given his position on key national issues.

Akere Muna, the global model in brief 

Barrister Akere Muna is among the few compatriots who have marketed Cameroon positively on the global stage. 

His legal in-routes in crusading good governance, peace and transparency have made waves in years past.

He is a distinguished man of law who has walked on several golden platforms. Akere Muna is boss of the Pan African Lawyers’ Union, PALU. His commitment to the upholding of justice and the rule of law has remained matchless for decades.

Akere Muna has been a mover and shaker within the corridors of Transparency International, TI. It has been so, both as the founder of Transparency International-Cameroon and as Vice Chair of the global organisation. 

At one time, he was Chairperson of the Council of the International Anti-Corruption Conference.

He is a former Member of the Eminent Persons Panel for the African Peer Review Mechanism, APRM. At APRM, he also served as Panel President. 

During his time at APRM, Akere Muna was formidable in pushing for reforms in assessing and facilitating the enactment of good governance best practices. 

The fearless fight against corruption in Cameroon, Africa and the world at large cannot be chronicled without Akere Muna occupying a prime spot.

His days as Founding Member of Transparency International-Cameroon, are just one of few instances to indicate how far he has gone in fighting against corruption.

He is on record as the tireless person who raised awareness on corrupt practices and pushed for accountability in the management of the State in the interest of the citizenry.

Akere Muna is a key figure in the African Union's High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows that was chaired by former South African President, Thabo Mbeki. 

Addressing illicit financial flows in Africa is an area he has continued to shine in, all these years. He is Sanctions Commissioner of the African Development Bank, AfDB.

Last year, he was pioneer Presiding Officer of the African Union, AU, Economic Social and Culture Council, ECOSOCC, Annual Citizens’ Forum on Democracy and Digital Governance in Africa. The confab took place in Nairobi Kenya.

Born in Nyen-Mbo, Mbengwi Subdivision, Momo Division of the North West Region on August 18, 1952, Akere Muna has continued to remain an inspiration to billions across the globe.