The ministers of the Beninese government held a regular meeting on Thursday, April 11, 2024. This meeting, chaired by President Patrice Talon, covered a variety of topics. Here you will find the full details of the decisions made.
The following decisions have been made:
I- REGULATORY MEASURES.
I-1. Removal of Master Denise EHOUZOU GANGNITO, Notary in Cotonou.
In August 2016, master Denise EHOUZOU GANGNITO, a notary holding the position created by the decree No. 97-329 of July 17, 1997, in Cotonou, reached out to one of her colleagues by mail, with whom she had not established any prior principle of contact, to ask him to cover her duties during her absence.
In the meantime, numerous complaints had been filed against her by clients, to such an extent that the National Chamber of Notaries of Benin was obliged to appoint another notary to evaluate the financial and accounting situation of master Denise EHOUZOU GANGNITO’s office, to manage it provisionally, and to consider possible solutions for the continuity of the services.
Similarly, the Chamber ordered an audit of the office by an accounting firm.
Various reports revealed serious irregularities, including the misappropriation of a total sum of one billion forty-eight million two hundred ninety-three thousand one hundred thirty-two (1,048,293,132) CFA francs, belonging to said clients or intended for the public treasury, which she collected in her capacity as a notary but is obligated to repay.
From a deontological and criminal perspective, this constitutes a particularly serious fault for a public officer who was sufficiently aware of it to have been absent for 7 years without any explanation, hoping thus to escape the consequences of her actions.
To protect the rights of clients, legal proceedings have already been initiated before the Court for the Repression of Economic Crimes and Terrorism, and disciplinarily, the Council has decided on her removal which will be followed by the assignment of the position to another notary.
II.2. Modalities of Processing Police, Judicial, and Penitentiary Information
The digital advancement notably supports the capacity to process data in a way that accelerates the establishment of information, the consolidation of evidence, and the search for infringements and perpetrators.
In such a context, it is imperative that law enforcement, judicial and correctional systems have modern tools to address the complex challenges of crime and national security.
Furthermore, databases contribute to thorough examination and are capable of storing a wide range of information, such as criminal records, profiles, testimonies, photographs, and identifying elements that facilitate quick access, search, and analysis of information useful for detecting offenses, conducting investigations, and judicial proceedings, thus reducing the time and uncertainties of research using outdated methods.
Moreover, judicial databases can assist in identifying criminal trends, tracking individuals’ criminal histories, enabling law enforcement agencies and courts to predict deviant behaviors, develop crime prevention strategies, make informed decisions about guilt, penalties, and rehabilitation measures.
Also, the implementation of this decree will allow the constitution of essential files for the proper functioning of the judicial and correctional public service such as those related to police information, biometric or genetic fingerprints, the Criminal Record, persons, vehicles, documents, weapons or generic objects searched, or even the computerized management system of correctional institutions.
It should be noted that the purposes, organizational and technical security measures, modalities of sharing, and guarantee of the rights of the persons concerned have been validated in accordance with the texts in force.
I-3. Establishment of the Beninese Water Infrastructure Company (SoBIE) S.A. and Approval of Its Statutes
This company contributes to the establishment of a new efficient and transparent institutional mechanism that fosters a balanced distribution of roles between asset management on one hand, and the monitoring of operations and maintenance on the other.
As a property management company, SoBIE S.A. will be responsible for:
- Planning the sector based on the development objectives set by the State;
- Seeking financing and implementing investment programs;
- Renewal of works and facilities falling within the public domain, according to the provisions of service delegation contracts;
- Physical and accounting management of the sector’s hydraulic assets, including the valuation and depreciation of fixed assets.
Furthermore, it will monitor the execution of the public water supply service management delegations and control compliance with obligations, quality criteria, and performance objectives assigned to the operators.
I-4. Temporary Suspension of the National Order of Dental Surgeons of Benin.
Numerous complaints from professionals attest that the said order is experiencing real governance issues that the various arbitrations carried out by the Ministry of Health have not overcome.
In addition, there are notorious difficulties in collaboration between the Order and the supervising ministry, as well as with international partners carrying out medical missions.
Moreover, our country now has a significant number of advanced technicians in dentistry who are unable to establish themselves and, for various reasons, cannot be solicited by dental surgeons. It is therefore urgent to review the texts organizing the sector in order to allow the different bodies that compose it to freely exercise their profession according to their skills.
Therefore, the Council decided to temporarily suspend the National Order of Dental Surgeons for a period of 12 months. A committee has been established to review the texts governing the practice of the profession, particularly in the field of dental surgery and odonto-stomatology.
The Minister of Health is instructed to carry out the prescribed mission within the deadlines set.
The Council also adopted, under this same heading, the decree approving the statutes of the National Library of Benin.
II- COMMUNICATIONS.
Implementation of the Pilot Project for Integrated Care of Autistic Children in the Municipalities of Cotonou and Abomey-Calavi
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in communication and social interactions. Consequently, affected children face stigmatization and rejection by their peers, leading to difficulties in community life.
Moreover, these impairments significantly impact the child’s academic life and social integration, as well as family cohesion. Managing autism requires substantial effort, which parents often struggle to provide adequately.
To facilitate proper care for this condition, the Government has initiated this pilot project aimed at implementing a series of actions to provide educational support, health assistance, and personalized social support to the targets.
Furthermore, the project’s interventions will promote the networking of professionals in the field to ensure a better exchange of experiences and best practices, ultimately meeting the specific needs of children with autism more effectively.
Recruitment of One Hundred and Forty-Six (146) State Officials Including One Hundred (100) Clerks for the Ministry of Justice and Legislation for the Fiscal Year 2024
The challenges of gradually modernizing the justice system in our country require filling the human resource needs to achieve this.
The profiles sought at this stage are IT specialists for digitizing judicial documents, securing acts, and collecting and processing criminal convictions.
Within this context, twenty-three (23) IT specialists and twenty-three (23) judicial service officers will be recruited to work in specific pairs in twenty-three (23) jurisdictions.
Additionally, 100 clerks will be hired to strengthen the workforce for greater efficiency in the administration of justice.
Recruitment of 300 Civil Servants for Customs and Public Treasury for the Year 2024
The authorized recruitments are for 150 customs officials, including 120 student customs officers, 10 student controllers, and 20 agents from the technical and administrative staff.
Additionally, they include 150 agents for the Directorate General of Treasury and Public Accounting, with 50 treasury controllers, 90 treasury assistants, 6 analyst programmers specializing in software engineering, and 4 analyst programmers focusing on network and systems maintenance.
This bolstering of personnel will enable these various administrations to better perform their duties with an aim to improve their overall performance.
III- INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts has been authorized under this heading to participate in statutory meetings and other related encounters abroad, for the year 2024.
IV- INDIVIDUAL MEASURES.
The following appointments have been made:
At the Ministry of National Defense
Chief of Staff of the National Navy: Captain Dossa HOUNKPATIN
At the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts
Director-General of the Event Logistics Company: Mrs. Roukiyath MAMAH-DJIMAN.
Done at Cotonou, on April 11, 2024,
The Secretary-General of the Government,
Edouard OUIN-OURO.