Libreville’s municipal council reconvened under stabilized leadership this week, examining the 2025 administrative and management accounts during an ordinary session at the Jean-Félix Lassy hall. The gathering, led by the newly elected municipal bureau under Mayor Eugène Mba, unfolded with the participation of Estuaire Province Governor Marie-Françoise Dikoumba, marking a significant milestone in the capital’s governance transition.
The session follows a turbulent period that began in April when lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected the 2026 draft budget, prompting the resignation of the previous executive team led by Pierre Matthieu Obame Etoughe. The political turbulence culminated in the election of a new municipal leadership, now tasked with restoring institutional normalcy and fiscal transparency in line with Gabon’s decentralization laws, which mandate a review of the prior year’s accounts during the first ordinary session of the calendar year.
Understanding the administrative account
Mayor Eugène Mba opened the proceedings by clarifying the purpose of the administrative account—a comprehensive financial document that compares projected revenues and expenditures against actual collections and disbursements for the fiscal year. This accountability tool ensures fiscal discipline and public trust in municipal governance.
The 2025 budget, initially set at 25.623 billion CFA francs by the interim administration, was later adjusted upward by 500 million CFA francs through a supplementary budget. Presentations to the council revealed a positive management result of 1.311 billion CFA francs for the year. Acknowledging he had not been in office during the fiscal period in question, Mayor Mba emphasized the principle of administrative continuity, underscoring the obligation to present an accurate financial assessment to the council and citizens alike.
He urged council members to approach the review with diligence and objectivity, emphasizing the importance of scrutinizing the financial records while acknowledging the broader economic context. Beyond approving the administrative and management accounts, councilors were also tasked with reviewing a proposal for the Mindoubé commercial complex, a project promoted by municipal authorities as a driver of local economic activity and a potential revenue booster for the city.
