City Council Honors Two Influential Figures
Applause filled the Dolisie municipal chamber as councilors voted unanimously to grant honorary citizenship to Maixent Raoul Ominga, Managing Director of the Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), and Colonel-Major Rémy Ayayos Ikounga, former commander of the Congolese Armed Forces and chairman of AC Léopards.
This distinction, formalized during the council’s second extraordinary administrative session from October 21-23, recognizes decades of civic engagement by two men whose influence spans energy, defense, and sports—three pillars shaping public life in Congo’s third-largest city.
Vice-Mayor Félicien Dieudonné Nzahou presided over the three-day meeting, described by officials as “peaceful and focused” despite a packed agenda that also addressed proposals for school name changes, a future BEAC branch, and a planned multi-sports gymnasium for the Mangandzi neighborhood.
The municipal secretary told journalists that honoring prominent figures can attract expertise and funding for the city’s future urban development plan, a blueprint designed to manage population growth and protect the “green gold”—the forest resources surrounding Dolisie.
Profile: Maixent Raoul Ominga
Born in Niari, Ominga rose through the ranks of the SNPC before being appointed Managing Director in 2018. Colleagues cite his promotion of local participation in oil subcontracting and scholarship programs sponsoring engineering students from provincial towns.
These initiatives, according to the municipal secretary, have made the oil executive “a natural ally for Dolisie,” where youth unemployment hovers around 22% according to the Ministry of Planning. Several recent graduates employed at the nearby Mengo-Kundji oil field credit his mentorship for securing their internships.
Reached by phone, Ominga expressed gratitude, insisting the honor belongs “first to the SNPC teams who innovate daily.” He added that he will support the city’s planned industrial zone by facilitating energy audits and negotiating discounted diesel for municipal buses.
Profile: Colonel-Major Ikounga and AC Léopards
Rémy Ayayos Ikounga, decorated during Operation Moukoukou in the early 2000s, is best known locally as chairman of AC Léopards, the club that stunned the continent by winning the CAF Confederation Cup in 2012. The military officer views football as a post-conflict unifying factor.
Under his chairmanship, the team’s academy built dormitories, installed solar panels, and offered literacy classes to recruits. This model prompted UNICEF to partner with the club last year for a campaign against child labor in logging camps around Dolisie.
In a brief statement, Ikounga dedicated the recognition to “young athletes whose dreams deserve safe stadiums and quality coaches.” City hall officials hinted the colonel-major could help accelerate funding for the delayed renovation of the 12,000-seat Denis Sassou N’Guesso Stadium.
Council Agenda Extends Beyond Honors
While headlines focused on the honorary titles, councilors also reviewed a proposal to rename two secondary schools, Simon Pierre Kikounga-Ngot and Dolisie 3. Lacking consensus, the matter was deferred to a later session for consultation with parent-teacher associations.
More immediate is the planned construction of a regional branch of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) next to National Route 1. BEAC officials state the branch, once operational in 2027, will shorten fund transfer circuits for timber exporters and small traders.
Linked to this project is a 2,500-square-meter gymnasium in Mangandzi, intended to host basketball, handball, and volleyball tournaments and serve as an evacuation shelter during floods. The Ministry of Sports confirmed feasibility studies, funded by FONER, are underway.
Economic Stakes for Dolisie and Niari
Analysts from a Brazzaville-based think tank note that awarding honorary citizenship can bolster what they term “developmental patronage”—a practice where national figures contribute to municipal budgets without holding elective office, a strategy long used in Pointe-Noire and Oyo.
In Dolisie, this approach could mobilize resources for road resurfacing and waste management, two priorities exceeding the city’s average annual revenue of 3.2 billion CFA francs, according to the 2024 budget report. Councilors hope business leaders will follow the precedent set this week.
For the broader Niari department, this announcement projects an image of stability at a time when global demand for manganese and timber is expected to contract slightly next year. “Symbolic gestures matter for investor confidence,” observed one economist, pointing to increased hotel bookings.
With the honorary certificates to be presented at a public ceremony next month, residents are already rehearsing songs. Whether oil revenues or football trophies come first, city hall is counting on its new ambassadors to guide Dolisie toward the modern, inclusive metropolis envisioned in its draft master plan.
Civil Society Views
The Ministry of Territorial Administration welcomed the vote, noting that honoring exemplary citizens aligns with the 2003 decentralization law. Officials stated that guidelines will soon be circulated to other councils wishing to adopt similar recognition mechanisms.
A civil society network of urban planners welcomed the symbolism but urged transparent procurement procedures. A spokesperson said: “The master plan must remain participatory so that residents trust both the process and the figures championing it.”