Paul Obambi: Azur Telecom
The
presidential family or the ruling Nguesso family is also into the
Telecommunication sector through one of their best known businessman: Paul
Obambi. Mr Obambi is the majority shareholder of a Mobile telephony company:
Azur Telecom. This company that Cendrine Sassou Nguesso is also a shareholder
is headed by the younger brother of Mr Obambi by name Jean Bruno Obambi, a
graduate of HEC in Montreal, Canada. Azur Telecom is not only present in Congo;
she has subsidiaries in Gabon and Central Africa Republic. Mr Obambi is not
only in the mobile telephony business, he is also into advertising, mining and
oil sectors. He is also the owner of Congo Oil in the DRC. Although Paul Obambi
staunchly refuses that his success is attached to his proximity to President
Sassou Nguesso, many people that, I spoke to before writing this book has a
contrary view. They all confirmed to me that Paul Obambi is fronting for
President Denis Sassou Nguesso. However
all those who made the revelation or confirmed the claims did not want to be
named publicly for fear of retaliation.
Alexis Vincent Gomez
While Paul
Obambi operates in several sectors within the Congolese economy, the other golden
boy of the system is Alexis Vincent Gomez. As his profile has indicated earlier,
he is a lawyer and real estate mogul. Many people that I interviewed for this
book confirmed to me that, Alexis Vincent Gomez was fronting for Mrs. Antoinette
Sassou Nguesso, but like Paul Obambi, he has rejected any accusations of his
supposed links with Antoinette Sassou Nguesso or any other member of the ruling
Nguesso family. The other reality in Congo is that, without any proximity with
members of the ruling Nguesso family, it is almost impossible to do business in
the country. Most Lebanese and West African businessmen operating in Congo will
back the latter claims. They (West
African businessmen) can’t operate without the backing of one or more members
of the ruling Nguesso family. Some West African and Lebanese businessmen do boast
that, their businesses are either a cover for one of the Nguessos or for some
influential persons within the system. They are no longer afraid to tell
anybody who cares to listen that, they are doing business with the support of
the ruling family. The Nguessos don’t have investments only in Congo. Some of
their supports have invested massively out of Congo. The cases of Paul Obami
with his mobile phone company present in Gabon and Central African Republic and
Willy Etoka who has investments in Congo, Morocco, France and the United
States. In the US, Willy Etoka has invested in a property at Potomac and
McDonalds franchises. The rise of Willy Etoka from rag to richest would have been
wonderful and also a source of inspiration to many poor and better educated
Congolese if it was really the fruit of hard work. He was formerly a used tire
merchant around Miadeka Street in Brazzaville and today he is the 10th
richest man in French-speaking Africa with a presidential ambition because he
is fronting for Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso.
Lucien Ebata
Orion Oil,
owned by Lucien Ebata is based in neighbouring DRC, precisely in Kinshasa. Orion
Oil also has offices in Canada and Switzerland. Lucien Ebata is perhaps the top
among the golden boys fronting for the Nguesso ruling family that I know
personally besides Paul Obambi. I had
the opportunity while in Congo Brazzaville to interview him twice for my TV
programme, La Grande Interview broadcast on MNTV. How he became rich is equally
a fairytale comparable to that of Willy Etoka, earlier mentioned. My investigations
have revealed that, in spite all the stories that are officially narrated as
being the source of his wealth; the truth is that, the Nguesso families are the
ones who have propelled him to the pinnacle of African business. However, what
I was not able to pinpoint clearly, was who was his connecting man or woman
within the Nguesso family. Some people I spoke with claimed that, he was
working for Edgard Nguesso, while others claim that, he was working for Denis
Christel Sassou Nguesso. Whatever the case, Lucien Ebata is not a self made
business man as he would want the world to think he is, but a product of a
corrupt system. He is one of the many conduits through which the ruling Nguesso
family uses to siphon out of the country, funds generated from the sale of
Congolese crude oil. Lucien Ebata is a brilliant businessman who has decided to
diversify his business by going into the media. He has bought the franchise for
French-speaking black Africa of the American magazine: Forbes. The
French-speaking edition or Forbes franchise for Africa is known as Forbes
Afrique and it has become a platform under which the ruling party uses to
launder it image at home and abroad by organizing conferences for media
professionals and for spent out politicians from western democracies: Guy Verhostadt,
Pierre Raffarin, Dominique de Villepin or Vincente Fox to give themselves a
semblance of political rejuvenation. It was through Forbes Afrique that Willy
Etoka, one of the creatures of the system was exposed as the 10th
richest person in French-speaking Africa.
this article about Mr Ebata is ridiculous. I know Mr Ebata for more than 30 years since he was student here at Ottawa university. His's really self made business man cause, he started his business here in Canada and it here (Ottawa were I am) he made his first Million dollars. Pretending that he works for one of Nguesso family is totally a telling story. Call or mail me if you need to know more about Mr Ebata. By the way, I don't work for him nor have interest in his business I am intervening just for the sake of the trough. I know how he started his business and can testify because I was one of his first partner.
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