Isidore Mvouba MP aka Teddy bear: Profile of Congo's minister of Industrial Development

Isidore Mvouba MP aka Teddy bears: he is the state minister for Industrial development and the promotion of the private sector since 2012. He is also a Member of Parliament for Kindamba electoral constituency in the Pool region. This former prime minister is considered by people of his region as a traitor, but to President Denis Sassou Nguesso, he is one of his most loyal supporters. During the rule of the only post independent democratically elected President of Congo, Pascal Lissouba, he refused a government appointment that he was proposed. In doing so, he was simply obeying to the injunctions or recommendations from the then former president, Denis Sassou Nguesso.  The fact that Isidore Mvouba unlike Professor Gregroire Lifouba aka Mwana Mboka, had refused to join the government of Pascal Lissouba endeared him(Isidore Mvouba) in the eyes and hearts of President Denis Sassou  Nguesso and also to his late daughter Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba. 

And according Isidore Mvouba, late daughter Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba, did send him FCFA 25 million during the civil war as gift of sustenance or support. Mr Isidore Mvouba is a Soviet Union trained railway technician and trade unionist. He is also a person who speaks or talks about everything, but the internal politics of Congo. Mindful of the suspicious nature of his friend and boss, he is afraid that, something else would be carried or reported back to Denis Sassou Nguesso and which might cause his political downfall. Although some people think that, he has no personality, he nonetheless does show it, whenever his position is at stake. For example, he almost beat up Pierre Ngolo, the current secretary of the ruling party because of competition to head the party.  

Even though he is loyal to President Denis Sassou Nguesso, he was not chosen by the president to head the post of secretary general of the ruling party. The president instead preferred Pierre Ngolo not just because he was from the north and they spoke the same language. The appointment of Pierre Ngolo to the post of secretary general of the ruling party in 2011 was more because, the president wanted someone who had no personality.  And since, the president doesn’t have total confidence in Isidore Mvouba, he opted for Pierre Ngolo.  Besides the fact that, the president doesn’t have total confidence in him because he is a native of the Pool region, he is also challenged by other members of the presidential family, in particular Aime Emmanuel Yoka. This was visible when prior to the 2009 presidential elections, Mvouba with the support of Okombi Salissa created the RMP or Ressemblement pour la Majorite Presidentielle, Aime Emmanuelle Yoka and François Ibovi responded by creating what was then called Imitative pour la Paix abbreviated IP. 

For most family members of the president and other ethnic Mbouchis of the north were always ganging up against him. They thought that, the president, given their proximity had plans to hand over power to him. As for his future politically, it is sealed to the fate of the president Denis Sassou Nguesso. Furthermore, the fact that, he has a fragile health, he has no future and even if President Denis Sassou  Nguesso succeed to change the constitution, I wonder whether he will be able or have the power to withstand the pressure that will follow.