TAJUDEEN ABDUL-RAHEEM, Former Chairman of CDD International Governing Council (IGC) is African of the year

The Centre for Democracy and Development is pleased and honoured to announce that Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem (1961- 2009) the founding chair of our International Governing Council has been awarded the 2009 ‘African of the Year’ by the Daily Trust. In a colourful ceremony which held Wednesday, January 20, 2010 Tajudeen was named as the winner of the award while Sudanese journalist Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein was adjudged the runner up. The award comes with a cash prize of $50,000 sponsored by the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
The event which was held at the Transcorp Hilton had in attendance Tajudeen’s widow Mounira, his daughters Aisha and Aida, CDD Director Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim, Chair of CDD IGC, Dr. Kole Shettima, Mrs. Winnie Madhkizela-Mandela, Ghanaian MP Mrs. Samia Nkrumah among other guests.
A moving citation read by the Chair of the Daily Trust African of the Year International Advisory Board, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, former Prime Minister of Tanzania and former Secretary General of the OAU extolled the virtues of Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem whom he said still speaks even in death and is recognized for his tremendous contributions to the development of the African continent. Dr. Salim said “we are aware that the next generation will not grow up to see Tajudeen, therefore, we must work together to create a better society such that we could say to the next generation: this is the world Tajudeen helped to build”. The citation further recalled Tajudeen’s contribution to the Pan-African movement especially his role as the General Secretary of the 7th Pan African Congress Secretariat in Kampala Uganda.
Dr. Salim recalled that “the Congress was overshadowed by the unfolding genocide in Rwanda. In response, Tajudeen accompanied a delegation from the Pan African Movement to Rwanda, for a first hand assessment of what was going on in the country, but the delegation fell into an ambush near Kigali from which Tajudeen was lucky to escape unhurt. Although he survived that attack in 1994, he was less fortunate 15 years later in 2009, as he died in a motor accident in Nairobi while on his way to Kigali, again”.
Dr. Salim noted that “Taju spoke the truth to those in power. He boldly took to task African leaders who did not have the courage of their convictions, including publicly critiquing Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi for the cumbersome and restrictive visa regime at the seat of the African Union.”
CDD wants to thank all who have stood by Tajudeen’s family, we are proud of this award, although Tajudeen did not live to see this award. We are working assiduously to be able to say, in the words of Salim – “this is the world Tajudeen helped to build.” We thank the Chair and members of the Daily Trust African of the Year International Advisory Board, as well as the management of the Daily Trust and the United Bank for Africa. We think this award is a recognition and an encouragement for us all to continue to project Tajudeen’s ideas and to continue his legacies. This is why the CDD is happy to be involved with the discussions to set up the Tajudeen Foundation.