Casimir Oyé-Mba
Casimir Oyé-Mba | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 April 1942 Nzamaligué, Estuaire Province, Gabon |
| Died | 16 September 2021 (aged 79) |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, finance expert |
| Years active | 1968–2016 |
| Known for | Governor of the Bank of Central African States (1978–1990), Prime Minister of Gabon (1990–1994) |
Casimir Marie Ange Oyé-Mba (20 April 1942 – 16 September 2021) was a prominent Gabonese statesman and expert in finance. He held the role of Governor at the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) from 1978 until 1990, after which he served as Gabon's Prime Minister from 3 May 1990 to 2 November 1994. Subsequently, he occupied several significant ministerial positions, including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (1994–1999), Minister of State for Planning (1999–2007), and Minister of State overseeing Mines and Oil (2007–2009).
Early life and financial career
Belonging to the Fang ethnic group, Oyé-Mba was born in Nzamaligué within Estuaire Province. After completing his secondary schooling in Gabon, he continued his education in France, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Law and Political Science from the University of Rennes. He further earned a Diploma of Specialized Studies (DESS) and completed a doctorate at the Faculty of Law in Paris by 1969, focusing his dissertation on legal matters concerning the exploitation of Gabon's subsoil resources. Additionally, he received a finance qualification from the Center for Economic and Banking Studies (CEFEB), affiliated with the French Development Agency.
Oyé-Mba embarked on his banking profession in January 1968 at the Central Bank of the States of Equatorial Africa and Cameroon (BCEAEC). By 1970, he advanced to become director of its Libreville branch. When BCEAEC evolved into BEAC in 1973, he assumed the role of National Director for Gabon and was elevated to Assistant Director-General at BEAC's headquarters in Yaoundé by 1977. In April 1978, he was appointed Governor of BEAC, a post he maintained until 1990.
Political career
In the aftermath of Gabon's 1990 National Conference, Oyé-Mba was named Prime Minister on 27 April 1990. During the parliamentary elections that year, he secured a seat representing Komo-Mondah Department in the National Assembly and continued as prime minister following the November confirmation. Serving as campaign manager for President Omar Bongo during the December 1993 presidential election—which Bongo won—Oyé-Mba tendered his resignation on 11 March 1994 but was reinstated two days later with a newly formed cabinet announced on 25 March. Following a political accord with opposition forces later that year, Oyé-Mba and his administration resigned on 11 October 1994; they were succeeded by a coalition government led by Paulin Obame-Nguema on 2 November. Oyé-Mba subsequently joined this government as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, holding this office until January 1999 when he transitioned to Minister of State for Planning, Development Programming, and Regional Planning under Prime Minister Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane.
He secured reelection to the National Assembly in both December 1996 and December 2001 parliamentary polls. In the December 2002 municipal elections, Oyé-Mba won a city council seat representing Ntoum.
In his bid for President of the African Development Bank in 2005, Oyé-Mba advanced to the fourth round during the opening day of voting but was ultimately unsuccessful.
During the December 2006 parliamentary election, he once more claimed a National Assembly seat as the PDG candidate for Ntoum while retaining his ministerial role. After nearly nine years serving as Minister of State for Planning, Oyé-Mba was appointed Minister of State responsible for Mines, Petroleum, Oil, Energy, Water Resources, and Promotion of New Energies in the cabinet established on 28 December 2007.
2009 presidential bid
Following the passing of President Bongo on 8 June 2009, Oyé-Mba, who was then a member of the PDG Political Bureau, emerged as one of ten PDG hopefuls vying for the party’s nomination ahead of the early presidential election scheduled for 30 August 2009. Although Ali Bongo Ondimba, the late president’s son and a prominent contender, ultimately secured the PDG candidacy in mid-July, Oyé-Mba announced his independent run on 21 July. He challenged the legitimacy of the candidate selection process and presented himself as the genuine consensus candidate. After nearly two decades of public service, he was notably left out of the newly appointed government on 22 July.
The opposition coalition Patriotic United Forces (FPU) endorsed Oyé-Mba on 29 July, commending his integrity and extensive experience. During a speech in Libreville on 9 August, he highlighted the critical issue of youth unemployment, attributing young people's skepticism towards politicians to persistent feelings of betrayal.
Throughout his campaign, Oyé-Mba underscored Gabon’s stark economic disparities: he stated that "60 percent of Gabonese live below the essential income level ... while only two percent enjoy the nation’s wealth." His platform focused on enhancing governance standards, advancing infrastructure projects with an aim to construct 100 kilometers of roads annually, streamlining government by reducing the number of ministers to cut expenses, and restoring presidential term limits to two terms.
On election day, citing fears of potential violence, Oyé-Mba withdrew from the race. Despite this decision, official results released by the Constitutional Court on 4 September placed him fifth with 0.92% of the vote.
Opposition involvement
On 30 December 2009, a unified opposition party was announced with Oyé-Mba among its key leaders. He joined the Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development (UGDD), headed by Zacharie Myboto, which subsequently merged with two other parties to establish the National Union. At its founding event on 10 February 2010, Oyé-Mba was appointed one of five vice-presidents. For the 2016 presidential election, he declared his candidacy under the National Union banner but withdrew two weeks prior to voting, throwing his support behind Jean Ping. In the aftermath of post-election turmoil, Oyé-Mba and several opposition leaders faced restrictions on international travel.
He also publicly urged prudence regarding any plans to dismantle the CFA franc, emphasizing that the currency union plays a vital role in maintaining inflation control among its member states.
Health decline and passing
In September 2021, Oyé-Mba contracted COVID-19 and spent a week hospitalized in Libreville before being transferred by air ambulance to Paris on 11 September for specialized care. He passed away on 16 September at Saint Joseph Hospital. Both Ali Bongo Ondimba and Jean Ping paid tribute to him via their Facebook accounts.