(Business in Cameroon) - After a two-month anticipation, Marcel Ondélé of Congo was appointed on April 9 as the Secretary-General of the Banking Commission of Central Africa (Cobac). The latter is the regulatory body overseeing the banking sector in the CEMAC zone.

This decision came following an extraordinary session of the CEMAC Heads of State Conference, conducted via videoconference, where Gabonese Patricia Danielle Manon was named Deputy Secretary-General. Both Ondélé and Manon had been previously recommended for these positions by their respective countries during the CEMAC Heads of State Conference on February 9. However, their appointments were deferred due to opposition from Chad's Transitional President, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, who had sought the Secretary-General role for Chad, arguing for equitable distribution of leadership roles within CEMAC institutions. Deby contended that Chad had been marginalized since the departure of its national, Abbas Mahamat Tolli, from the position of Governor of the BEAC.

The contention faced by Deby's claim came from Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo and Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema of Gabon, who advocated for a rotation policy based on alphabetical order among the countries for leadership positions within CEMAC institutions. Ultimately, a consensus was reached, leading to Chad withdrawing its candidate, allowing Congo and Gabon to have their nominations for the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General positions at Cobac respectively validated.

The new Cobac Secretary-General, Marcel Ondélé, is well-versed in community institutions, having honed his skills at the Central African Financial Markets Supervisory Commission (Cosumaf). After climbing the ranks within Cosumaf, he was propelled to the position of Secretary-General, followed by his appointment as Vice-President of the Development Bank of the Central African States (BDEAC).

Patricia Danielle Manon, on the other hand, will be making her debut in a community institution role. A seasoned banker, she spent 23 years with the BGFI bank group, ascending to lead its Gabonese subsidiary in 2013. Although dismissed in 2015, she returned in 2019 to head Gabon's Deposit and Consignment Office (Caisse des dépôts et consignations), a role she stepped down from on February 7, 2024, following her government's decision to appoint her Deputy Secretary General of Cobac.