Gabonese breathe a new air of hope as they wait patiently for the new government of the country to look into the unpaid pensions.
The locals especially the senior citizens who could not do anything but hope for the pension they receive as a result of their service to the growth and development of the country, have cried out that they have not received their pensions for years now and are hoping the new government will look into it. Some say they’ve received nothing for years.
The central African state’s interim leader, a commander who led the August 30 revolution that overthrew President Ali Bongo Ondimba, has committed to reform the pension system in response to the people’s cry.
General Brice Oligui Nguema presented reform proposals for the broken system, which has long condemned millions to poverty, only a few days after seizing the helm.
The number of times Leonie Oumtoma, a widow and grandmother, has waited in line at the Social Security office in Batavia to learn when she will begin getting money is beyond her memory.
“I lost my husband in 2017. I submitted my documents in 2018, but I’ve since received nothing.
“Every time, I leave, I come back…,” she says. “I don’t even know how much I’m going to get.”
The military coup leaders and the opposition have both called Bongo’s election victory, which was announced just seconds earlier, a fraud. They have also accused his rule of extensive corruption and poor leadership.
Two days later, in an address to hundreds of business leaders, Oligui vowed to “end the suffering” of the elderly and the sick.
He declared that governmental pension and health funds will “immediately” be managed by the private sector.
“I’m a widow but I haven’t received a penny of my husband’s pension for two years,” grumbles 57-year-old trader Henriette Nset.
The opposition and civil society organizations have been sounding the alarm about thousands of people like her for years.
In Africa’s third-richest nation in terms of per-capita GDP, one in three people live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
A small elite controls Gabon’s riches, which comes from the country’s large oil reserves and other natural resources.
Many viewed the coup as a freedom from the 55 years of Bongo family rule, including the 14 years Ali Bongo held the position after his father Omar passed away in 2009 after nearly 42 years in office.
66 years old was Gabon’s average life expectancy in 2021, according to data from the World Bank.
“I’m forced to dip into my savings to meet the needs of my family,” says Francois Moussavou, 58, who has been waiting for his pension for two years.
Despite Oligui’s assurances, the initially positive atmosphere at the Batavia Social Security office quickly fades.
A “technical problem” forces it to close mid-morning.
The National Social Security Fund’s inspector general, Romaric Ngomo Menie, claims he is aware of the suffering and that the president “wants results quickly because he cares about social protection.”
Aristide Mouanda, a 57-year-old retired technician who quit working a year ago but hasn’t received any pension benefits, shares others’ hopes for improvement under the new administration.
Oligui has stated that after a transitional period, the country will return to civilian control with elections, although he has not specified a timetable.
He has also spoken with important people, established a large transitional government, and pledged to assist the most vulnerable citizens of the nation.
However, strikes by employees who claim they haven’t been paid in months raise the possibility that Gabonese tolerance may soon wear thin.
