"LE GABON ENERVANT" OR "ANNOYING GABON"

English version  The project discussed in this interview is the construction of the Mayumba deep-water port in the Nyanga province, in southern Gabon. In this interview, Armand Juldas Mbadinga, Strategic Advisor to the Director General of OPRAG, explains that this project has been resized to become a multi-purpose port that will notably integrate large logistical and oil storage capacities (hydrocarbons and gas) to meet industry needs. From a strategic and economic standpoint, it is undeniably a very good idea, as the Gabonese oil industry currently stores a large part of its production offshore on old vessels. This is extremely expensive in terms of logistics and exposes the country to the growing risks of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Having secure onshore storage terminals in Mayumba would solve this problem. Nyanga is a rich province but has been historically marginalized when it comes to infrastructure. Such a hub would create a local economic boom, generating thousands of dir...

 

English version  The Building Construction Company affair is yet another example that perfectly illustrates the sense of smoke and mirrors perceived by many compatriots in the face of CBON's actions. This scandal highlights a glaring contradiction between the official discourse on financial transparency and the reality of public procurement execution. Here are the major red flags raised by this affair: The anomaly of no-bid contracts:  The awarding of contracts worth over 53.6 billion FCFA (in addition to the Tour H construction site) to a single provider, without any competitive bidding process, goes against the elementary rules of good governance. This directly contradicts the accountability rhetoric recently touted before Congress. The profile of a ghost company:  Entrusting state infrastructure of this magnitude to a company (Building Construction Company - BCC) that has no verifiable history, no references within the CEMAC zone, and no known public shareholding, is a...

English version  The front page of  L'Union  perfectly illustrates the tension between the SEEG's deep structural failures and the ever-convenient search for scapegoats, which allows the regime to evade accountability. The inability to provide vital services such as water and electricity poses a major risk to the viability of any government. Invoking internal sabotage, a conspiracy, or a hidden war, as highlighted in Lin-Joël Ndembet's editorial, serves to deflect popular anger away from decision-makers and onto fall guys. The paralysis of the unit purchasing system highlights a critical vulnerability in the IT infrastructure. Whether resulting from hacking or a simple technical failure, it reveals a lack of security within the company's essential systems. The article mentions an internal audit report estimating losses at 50 billion CFA francs per month, with nearly 30% of distribution subject to fraud. This data reflects deeply entrenched deviant practices and systemic...

 

English version  In Gabon, a kounabelist, a very beautiful term that proves how humorously astute the Gabonese are, is a political courtier, a flatterer, a yes man/woman; that is to say, an individual gravitating around the high spheres of power whose main objective is to obtain, retain or increase their personal benefit, not by their skills or convictions, but by absolute complacency towards the leader. Given the epidemic of kounabeliste going on in Gabon these days, this blog has developed a quick scientific test to check yourself and find out whether you are a full fledged kounabelistes,    a burgeoning one, or the absolute opposite of one. Here is the scientific test: This blog developed a 10-question assessment, formatted as a standard political science inventory to measure leader-centric allegiance and unconditional political loyalty. Instructions:  Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements on a scale from 1 to 5.  (1 = Strongly Dis...