"LE GABON ENERVANT" OR "ANNOYING GABON"

English version In a text that you can read on the site of the excellent Gabonreview, the Gabonese academic Bertrand Boundzanga answers Flavien Enongoué, another academic who is also an advisor to Ali Bongo; following an article published by the second in the government daily L’Union, giving obsequious electoral laurels to Ali Bongo. We advise you to go and read this text on Gabonreview. But in this post we would like to raise the dangers of a pay to play intellectualism, as seems to be practiced by Flavien Enongoué, by offering to him the reflections of American academic Noam Chomsky, on the responsibilities of intellectuals. The original text of Noam Chomsky’s observations can be read here Version française Dans un texte que vous pouvez lire sur le site de l’excellent Gabonreview, l’universitaire Gabonais Bertrand Boundzanga, répond à Flavien Enongoué, un autre universitaire qui est aussi conseiller d’Ali Bongo ; suite à un article de ce dernier publié...

Photo: J. G. N. A.

Le Sénateur Jean Christophe OWONO NGUEMA (photo : J. P. Rougou) Madame le président du Sénat, Messieurs les ministres Vénérables sénateurs et chers Collègues C’est encore une fois, avec le cœur serré que je m’adresse à vous aujourd’hui du haut de cette tribune, dans le cadre de l’exercice constitutionnel qui consiste à donner à l’Exécutif, les moyens d’action et d’agir par l’examen du budget de l’année 2016. Le cœur serré, parce qu’avec un peu de bonne volonté, nous avons à cet instant précis, l’occasion de mettre un terme à la dérive vers laquelle le gouvernement est en train de nous mener. Par notre vote, nous mettrons en place dès maintenant, les bases concrètes du redressement de notre pays. Il s’agit de constater, au nom du Peuple Gabonais que nous représentons, que le projet de loi de finances pour l’année 2016 qui est soumis à notre appréciation aujourd’hui, ne permet pas d’arrêter la marche inexorable vers une impasse, entreprise ...

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Members of the Gabonese government dressed as soldiers Des membres du gouvernement gabonais en tenues militaires Photo : Gabonreview English version A reader just asked us the following question: “Why are Ali Bongo and the members of his government dressing in military uniforms, given that they have never served in the military?” Our quick answer: Ali Bongo wears a Generalissimo's uniform to project the image of a tough dude, a bit like a teenager wearing a leather jacket because he thinks that this makes him look tough. He wants to appropriate the image of a leader, which he lacks of course. He is trying to convince himself and the people that he has dominion over them and the country. He thinks that wearing the military uniform makes him look intimidating. He thinks that the military uniform makes exude strength, confidence, dependability, and unbreakable power.  He is wrong of course, because no one is fooled by his accoutrement. He manages only to look ridiculous! ...

Members of the Gabonese government dressed as soldiers Des membres du gouvernement gabonais en tenues militaires Photo : Gabonreview English version The Bongo-PDG’s regime is a dictatorship; and dictatorships are bound to fail. They always fail. When people aren't able to decide their own future, they end up rebelling. People rebel against dictators and end up winning. The Bongo-PDG’s regime is characterized by keeping the Gabonese population in a repressive environment, by large misallocation of resources, and by the omniscience of incompetent decision makers. The sector using the largest portion of the Gabonese treasury is the Presidency. Huge amounts of money are spent on the presidency, without any tangible results. These resources could be far better spent on productive activities instead of wasted on bloated lazy people who provide no economic return to the country. The Bongos see themselves as the priority of the country to the detriment of the ...

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Photo: J. G. N. A.

Odome Angone (photo: Odome Angone) English version Mrs Odome Angone, thank you for publishing this text which forced us to think. Mrs Odome Angone thank you for posting this text containing a charge of your experience in contact of the Gabonese administration so intense that one wonders how long will we tolerate these practices that delay us all? Mrs Odome Angone thank you for having decided that your experience would not be buried under the proverbial "what else could I do?", but could serve as a lesson generator of hope and perseverance within your community, so as to release its cultural, intellectual, political, economic, and social energies. Mrs Odome Angone thank you for proving by your experience that in Gabon, the struggle between those who love freedom and are respectful of social advancement by talent, and those who are obsessed with power and determined to stifle talents to stay in place, does not always end to the advantage of the lat...