Biography of Gabriel Léon M'ba, Origin,Education,Family,Policies,Achievements

Gabriel Léon M'ba was a Gabonese politician who served as both the country`s first Prime Minister from 1959 to 1961 and president from 1961 to 1967.
M`ba was born on the 9th of February, 1902 in Libreville, Gabon. His father, a member of the Fang ethnic tribe, was a village chief and manager of a small business who once worked as the hairdresser to Franco-Italian explorer, Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza.
 His mother, Louise Bendome, was a seamstress, and both parents were formally educated. M'ba's brother was Gabon's first Roman Catholic priest.
In 1909, M'ba joined a seminary for his primary education, and in 1920, he got a job as a store manager before entering the French colonial administration as a customs agent.
 Although he performed excellently at the job, M'ba's activism in helping black Gabonese, particularly the Fangs, didn`t go well with his superiors.