President Dieudonné Aba’a Owono of the Constitutional Court granted an audience to a delegation from the Union of Retired Forces and Security Personnel in Gabon, a meeting aimed at exposing the financial and social distress affecting former state servants.
The interview took place at a crucial moment for the organization, which has recently been recognized by the Ministry of the Interior and officially presented to Defense National authorities. Now with legitimacy, the association aims to confront the powers in charge about the growing precarity affecting many retired military and police personnel.
For these retirees, bitterness is great: After decades dedicated to protecting the Nation, they claim today the payment of several rights and social benefits that they believe are rightfully theirs.
Une justice à deux vitesses dénoncée
At the heart of their anger lies an unjust situation: a difference in treatment between different categories of agents when approaching retirement. The application of existing regulations would only benefit a privileged minority, they argue.
President of the Union Jean Edgard Moussavou does not hold back his words to denounce this two-tiered system. ‘We have started several initiatives related to articles 94 and 104,’ he said. ‘Article 94 provides an indemnity for services rendered for all retiring agents, while article 104 states that 80% of the last base salary accompanies the retired agent. To date, only senior generals have a decree in force regarding these provisions. Today, our pensions are calculated on nothing.’
Le rappel à l’ordre de la Haute juridiction
The president of the Constitutional Court was sensitive to the distress of his guests and sought to outline the issues. President Dieudonné Aba’a Owono reminded his interlocutors of the importance of pursuing their claims in a strict respect for republican institutions and established legal and administrative channels. An appeal to calm and judicial rigor for an extremely sensitive dossier.
