Gabon: The Oligui plane scandal, Yann Koubdjé's luxurious blunder

The case of the presidential plane in Gabon exploded on the web with a burning question: why did Yann Koubdjé, Special Advisor, display his pride in this luxuriously appointed plane? The plane in question, a veritable "flying palace", not only has two bedrooms, a presidential office, a meeting room and a business area, but it also seems to symbolize a drift for many.

The Gabonese people, who believed in a break with the extravagances of the past, see these images as a betrayal. The Transition led by General Oligui Nguema was expected to provide governance closer to the realities of a country suffering after years of deprivation. With a plane estimated at 30 billion CFA francs, one wonders if this is not a slap in the face to the Gabonese people who were hoping to see better managed priorities. Nguema, a rising figure of post-Bongo hope, finds himself in a quandary: how can such excess be justified at a time when we are talking about austerity and a return to legality?

Yann Koubdjé is not only at the heart of this scandal for having exposed the plane. It is his posture, his apparent carelessness, that is intriguing. In normal times, one might have believed it to be a simple clumsiness. But the timing is disastrous. The citizens are waiting for the referendum on the new Constitution, and now their trust in the Transitional Council is compromised by an unwelcome ostentatious luxury.

Criticism is pouring in, recalling the past of Gabonese elites, accused of locking themselves away in a gilded universe. The hopes raised by Oligui Nguema for a political renewal are colliding with the reality of decisions taken at the highest levels. Koubdjé, who seems to have taken his role as Special Advisor too seriously, must now answer for actions that could destroy the fragile legitimacy that the CTRI is seeking to consolidate.

Ultimately, this plane could well symbolize the gap between the ruling class and the aspirations of the people. So what to do now? Bury the scandal and hope that oblivion comes to the rescue or take clear and reassuring measures to show that no Gabonese, however powerful, can play with the nation's money and symbols with impunity?