-(« IN COLLABORATION WITH « FACE 2 TO FACE AFRICA »)-(« THE TITLE, EXTRA ADDITIONS AND THE CONCLUSION » ARE FROM OUR « STAFF »- (MEDIA MIRROR)(PARIS)(« IMAGE »: »HOUPHOUET BOIGNY’S DEAD BODY(DECEMBER 7th 1993)(YAMOUSSOUKRO)-(IVORY COAST)!
-TODAY (DECEMBER 7TH) MARKS THE (25TH) ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF « IVORY COAST » FIRST PRESIDENT(« FELIX HOUPHOUET BOIGNY », A VISIONARY AND WISE AFRICAN LEADER INDEED)!
-(REMINDER OF FACTS):
-(« FELIX HOUPHOUET BOIGNY » BORN ON (OCTOBER-18TH)-(1905), CAME FROM A LONG LINE OF « AKAN CHIEFS ».HE WAS SET TO SUCCEED (KOUASSI N’GO), THE VILLAGE CHIEF UPON HIS DEATH IN (1910) BUT SINCE HE WAS TOO YOUNG TO RULE, THE POSITION WAS TAKEN BY HIS STEP-FATHER AS REGENT UNTIL HE CAME OF AGE!HE WENT TO SCHOOL, THANKS TO THE (FRENCH) ,DURING THE COLONIAL RULE, WHO ORGANISED FOR HIM TO ATTEND SCHOOL AT THE MILITARY BASE IN (BONZI) IN THE CENTER PART OF « IVORY COAST »(WEST AFRICA) NEAR (YAMOUSSOUKRO) HIS NATIVE VILLAGE.HE WOULD GO TO A BOARDING SCHOOL FOR HIS SECONDARY SCHOOL AND EVENTUALLY TRAINED AS A MEDICAL ASSISTANT.UNDER HIS ROLE, HE CREATED A UNION OF « INDIGENOUS DOCTORS », SOMETHING THAT SAW THE FRENCH MOVE HIM TO A DIFFERENT TOWN TO AVOID LABOUR ISSUES.MOREOVER, HE RELINQUISHED HIS POSITION AS VILLAGE CHIEF TO HIS YOUNGER BROTHER(AUGUSTINE),PREFERRING HIS MEDICAL CAREER.FURTHERMORE, HE WOULD ENTER(POLITICS) IN (1945), SETTING THE STAGE FOR HIS FUTURE AS THE LEADERS OF THE TIME, HE TOOK A PATERNALISTIC APPROACH IN THE RULE, SUBDUING ANY DESSENT AND EVENTUALLY BECOMING THE « LONGEST-SERVING AFRICAN PRESIDENT » AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH ON THE (7 TH OF DECEMBER)(1993) IN HIS NATIVE VILLAGE (YAMOUSSOUKRO),THE CURRENT POLITIC CAPITAL CITY OF « IVORY COAST »!
-(« DOWN THE LINE , UNDER HOUPHOUET BOIGNY’ RULE FROM (1960 TO 1993), « IVORY COAST » IN (WEST AFRICA) EMERGED AS « AFRICA’S FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY » AROUND (9-10%) FROM (1973 TO THE 80s)! ACCORDIND TO SOME CREDIBLE SOURCES , A THAT TIME, (« IVORY COAST » )WAS RICHER THAN MOST OF THE EASTERN EUROPEAN NATIONS SUCH AS:(ROUMANIA, POLAND, HONGARIA,) AND (SOUTH KOREA) AS WELL.. THROUGH THE « IVORIAN ECONOMIC SUCCESS STORY » HIGHLIGHTED BY INTERNATIONAL WESTERN MEDIA!UNFORTUNATELY, TODAY RAMPANT CORRUPTION AND GREED ARE THE CURRENT SHORTCOMINGS OF « IVORY COAST » SINCE(2012) DESPITE A SO CALLED ECONOMIC GROWTH CONTROLED UNFORTUNATELY BY AN OSTENTATIOUS OLIGARCHY »!TALKING OF (FELIX HOUPHOUET BOIGNY), WE CAN ‘T HELP POINTING OUT THE FACT THAT (« THEY HAVE GONE AND WON’T BE FORGOTTEN »)!
(« THE TITLE AND CONCLUSION » ARE FROM OUR « STAFF »-(MEDIA MIRROR)(PARIS)