Libreville, Friday October 27, 2023 (Infos Gabon) – The institution of the raising and lowering of colors, the playing of the national anthem in schools, the reduction of parliamentarians’ allowances and the renunciation of certain presidential advantages aim to bring back orthodoxy to a society in difficulty. of its values.
These are announcements that have aroused admiration and hope among public opinion in recent weeks. Against all expectations, the Head of State took a series of courageous measures aimed at improving behavior in public spaces in Gabon. By deciding to whistle for recreation in the face of the incivism and mismanagement which, every day, began to establish themselves as norms, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema came out of his gongs to kick the anthill.
This return to orthodoxy necessarily involves raising awareness of patriotism among young people. From now on in Gabon, schools will have to raise their colors and sing the national anthem. “These patriotic acts will be performed every Monday morning before the start of classes, for the raising of the colors; and on Fridays after school, for their descent”, said Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi, spokesperson for the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI). As if to lead by example, the Head of State himself came to the Nelson Mandela CES in Libreville on October 23 to participate in this republican ritual. Through this act, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema intended to instill in his young fellow citizens patriotic values and the pride of belonging to a country: Gabon.
The end of privileges
With a view to reducing the State’s lifestyle, the highest institutions of the Republic have not been spared by the latest austerity measures initiated by the Gabonese number one. It is in this spirit that he decided to reduce the allowances granted to members of Parliament. These relate in particular to “the abolition of political funds”, “the abolition of the transport bonus of August 17” and “the halving of the sessional allowance”. A report by analyst Mays Mouissi, also Minister of the Economy, dated 2018 states that said compensation would be between 1.7 and 1.8 million F per month. In addition to the 40,000 F per day of session at the National Assembly or the Senate, i.e. 7 million F per year on average and 1 million F annually in transport bonus allocated to each parliamentarian.
In this logic, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema decided on October 18 to “renounce his treatment as President of the Republic while retaining only his treatment as Commander-in-Chief of the Republican Guard”. According to the CTRI spokesperson, this decision was motivated by “the general state of deterioration of the country and of public finances in particular, victims of a real criminal fury”. It is therefore, according to Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi that the Head of State, “aware of the social emergencies and the many expectations of the Gabonese people” made this decision. For many, it was time for such courageous steps to be taken for a comeback to put an end to the normalization of the gap which was beginning to take on worrying proportions in Gabon.
FIN/INFOSGABON/SM/2023
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