Jamaican News

Gabon’s president pledges his inheritance to the country’s youth; properties to the state

By Yves Laurent Goma

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Richard Drew)
(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

LIBREVILLE, Gabon _ Gabon’s president pledged to give his inheritance to the country’s youth saying they are the heirs of his father, who was at one time the world’s longest-serving president.

Ali Bongo Ondimba said that with the agreement of his wife and children, he will give money that he inherited from his father to a foundation for youth and education. He spoke Monday on the 55th anniversary of Gabon’s independence.

Ondimba became president after his father, President Omar Bongo, died in 2009. Omar Bongo ruled the oil-producing country of about 1.5 million people for more than 41 years.

“All income from my part of the inheritance will be donated to a foundation for the youth and education,” he said. “Those who were fortunate to have the support of their parents or of the state, in turn, must demonstrate generosity and solidarity, especially in difficult times.”

A property in Libreville, the capital, would be used to establish a university, and two properties in Paris would be used as diplomatic and cultural buildings for Gabon, he said.

In 2010, France’s highest court authorized a probe into the assets of three African heads of state, including late leader Omar Bongo, after two rights groups’ alleged that the leaders laundered money through French villas, cars and bank accounts.

Transparency International and Sherpa accused the leaders of using their nations’ riches to buy property and goods in France while their compatriots remain impoverished.

The rights groups say their investigations determined that Omar Bongo and his entourage bought 39 properties in France, and that he had 11 French bank accounts and nine cars in France worth nearly 1.5 million euros.

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