DAHOMEY: PRESIDENT EXPLAINS NEW POLICY OF APPOINTING YOUNGER MEN TO RUN THE NEW REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION

Record ID: 1063442

  • Title: DAHOMEY: PRESIDENT EXPLAINS NEW POLICY OF APPOINTING YOUNGER MEN TO RUN THE NEW REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION
  • Date: 18th March 1974
  • Summary: 1. GV Presidential Palace, Cotonou (2 shots) 0.10 2. LV INT President Kerekou facing reporter 0.16 3. CU President Kerekou speaking in French 3.33 "The new administrative organisation intends to give a new shape to the political administrative face of our country, taking into account the formal pledge given in the speech outlining the programme of November 30th 1972. That programme of national reconstruction advocates, on the one hand, the modernisating and strengthening of the former economic, social and cultural structures of the country and on the other hand make the administration more democratic, to fulfil the dean aspirations of the people who expect from the military Revolutionary Government an era of truck social justice and of prosperity in all fields. Therefore the appointment of young men to head the new territorial administration is not mere chance because we are determined to realize the aims we have set in the speech of November '72. The main lines of this programme were concaived and decided in full agreement with the representatives of the nation, including the young. We therefore thought it proper to associate them deeply with the actual implementation of that programme. But we expect they will be humble enough to relate their knowledge to the economic, social and cultural reality of their country. That does mean they must get rid for good of their petit-bourgeois complexes if they really want to constitute the spearhead of the revolutionary struggle waged by the Dahomean armed forces since 26th October 1972. We ask them to blend into our society, which faces poverty and destitution, and harmoniously ally their theoretical knowledge to practice in order to avoid being for over doctrinaire intellectuals void of convictions, - mere consumers of imported products. We think it is at that price alone that the young will gain the confidence of the nation to which they owe their education." Initials AE/21.42 AE/21.55 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 1st April 1974 13:00
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  • Location: COTONOU: DAHOMEY
  • Country: Benin
  • Reuters ID: LVA2CQMV2UV6X8JLC0KBHLCUKFP1
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