With Mo Ibrahim Prize of Achievement in African Leadership, the leadership is not just about good governance, but exceptional leadership where people transforms society and governance. The prize is not given because of maintaining public relation. Once people start to appreciate what real governance mean to their livelihood, to their future, things will change.

When information which properly belongs to the public is systematically withheld by those in power, the people soon become ignorant of their own affairs, distrustful of those who manage them, and - eventually - incapable of determining their own destinies. Although in many countries recognize the right of citizens to access and use information, this right is often not implemented.

In its own World Soccer Federation portal, FIFA.com, boasts: ’since 1993, the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking has become a regular part of international sports and an important indicator to find where teams stand in world’s football’s pecking order…’

Well, not quite, as it turns out, if judging by the results from an analysis of the Group competition stage that has just concluded in the football World Cup currently taking place in beautiful South Africa.

A total of 32 teams qualified for the World Cup.  They were divided into 8 groups of 4 countries each, competed against each other, playing 3 games each, for a maximum of 9 points.  The top 2 teams in each group are now advancing to the next stage of 16.  Eight games will take place over the next 4 days, starting on Saturday with Uruguay playing South Korea, and then later in the day Ghana plays against the US.  And on Sunday Germany plays England in the earlier match, and so on until this coming Tuesday.  The winner in each one of these 8 games advances to the Cup’s quarter finals, and so on.

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation has launched a global virtual platform for knowledge development, sharing and learning on participatory governance, available at: www.pgexchange.org.