Gabon: General Nguema Scores Big With Broad Reforms In First 100 Days.

By Ajong Mbapndah L

It is over one hundred days since the world woke up to the military coup in the Central African State, Gabon, putting to an end, the 56-year reign of the Bongo dynasty. Political analysts would agree that all the ingredients were in place for such an upheaval to take place, given the tense atmosphere that surrounded the holding of the recent presidential election in that country.

Despite being an oil-rich country, a 2019 study showed that 43.5 percent of Gabonese lived below the poverty line, making it the fourth highest rate amongst Africa’s upper middle class income economies. By 2020, 40 percent of youth were jobless and corruption scandals had gradually eroded the population’s trust in the government. This was worsened by the absence of a transparent and inclusive electoral system, conspicuously demonstrated in the 2023 Presidential election by the regime’s refusal to accredit international observers and journalists. The outcome was an election whose results were vehemently contested, just like it was the case in 2009 and 2016.

Since the Transitional Government took office under coup leader, General Brice Oligui Nguema, they have been on a charm offensive to win the hearts of Gabonese citizens and reignite the spirit of patriotism, which some argue was killed by Ali Bongo’s disregard for democratic values and freedoms. The junta has reinstated the signing of the national anthem in schools and hoisting of the flag in public offices, a practice that was long abandoned under the old regime.

The commitment of the military leaders to crackdown on corruption has undoubtedly won the sympathy of the masses. Immediately after taking office, General Oligui created an anti-corruption Task Force to track down companies that received money for projects they had either abandoned or not executed at all. The President held a meeting with over 200 Gabonese businessmen during which he warned them against over-billing and threatened contractors to resume work at construction sites or be arrested. The former President is believed to have championed the financial haemorrhage of Gabon’s treasury, as he and his close aides are said to own companies that were hitherto good at receiving money for no work done.

Over 300 luxury cars and huge sums of money, which the coup leaders describe as “ill-gotten wealth,”have been recovered from top officials and the Bongo family, and the military leaders have promised to invest over ten million US dollars of that money on projects such as water, electricity, and roads, which they consider a top priority. It is no secret that some family members of the former President, notably, the former First Lady, Syvie Bongo and close aides are facing the music of the law for alleged embezzlement of public funds. Besides, the coup leader has been criss-crossing the country and visiting suburbs where projects had been abandoned to ensure that work resumes immediately.

The Task Force has also uncovered over 4,000 ghost workers who had been draining the State of its scarce resources and the government now has a clear idea of its man power. The work of the said Task Force has also enabled the government to have a clear idea of the debt situation of the country, and the leaders have begun paying off debts owed the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank.

Another initiative of the junta that has been warmly saluted by Gabonese is the granting of free access to primary and secondary education in public schools, the return of scholarships and free school manuals, which will certainly increase and improve the literacy level of the country.

Under Ali Bongo, a good number of key positions were held by foreigners, including his Director of Cabinet, but General Oligui has embarked on what he termed the “Gabonisation of posts,” which is aimed at ensuring that those top jobs are returned to Gabonese citizens.

In a recent article published online, the Institute for Security Studies noted that “transitions in Central Africa could become tools to strengthen political and economic governance and avert instability,” adding that the Bongo dynasty had come to symbolise both political continuity and calamitous governance.

General Brice Oligui has promised to return power to civilians through free elections which have been announced for August 2025, but concerns have been raised that the Transition Charter is silent on whether or not he will be eligible to run for the election. These and many other issues are expected to be on the table when they converge for the national dialogue scheduled to take place in April 2024.

The seriousness of General Oligui Nguema to his new political duties is also seen in the outreach that he has done with more established leaders in the region. While there may have been some initial apprehension associating with or legitimizing someone who came to power through a coup, General Oligui has since been received by Sassou Nguesso of Congo, Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, Faustin Touadera of Central Africa, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and others. He equally attended the maiden edition of the Saudi-Africa forum.

Stroking the right notes so far, embraced by Gabonese and seemingly catching up first, some analysts think it may not come as a surprise if General Oligui Nguema eventually nurses political ambitions beyond the transition period.

 *Culled From December Edition of PAV Magazine