Adrien Degbey

Adrien Degbey was born on 10 May 1918 in Dogbo[3] in French Dahomey (now known as Benin). He attended Victor Ballot School from 1932 to 1935 and graduated at the top of his class. In 1935, with five classmates including Justin Ahomadégbé,[4] he was shortlisted on the basis of his marks and admitted to the École normale supérieure William Ponty in Gorée in Senegal, known at the time as the principal training ground of the elite from French West Africa.[5][6]

During his time in college, he discovered acting and studied theatre thanks to Charles Béart, school principal and father of the Ponty theatre.[7][8] He was a member of the school theatre group with the future Dahomeyan political elite, Hubert Maga, Émile Derlin Zinsou, François Djibodé Aplogan[lower-alpha 1] and Antoine Boya.[lower-alpha 2] In 1936, he played a role in Retour aux fétiches délaissés.[10] The play was performed in Gorée and Dakar and was hailed as a success.

Adrien Degbey graduated the École normale with a diploma in Primary Education.

On 16 March 1961, then first-class teacher, he was appointed deputy school inspector and assigned to primary inspection in Porto-Novo district.[11]

He ended his career as principal school inspector.[12]

In January 1947, as a member of the Dahomeyan Progressive Union, the largest political party in Dahomey, he was elected for five years to the General Council.[13][14] He was reelected in 1959 and served until 1960 when the country attained full independence from France.[15]

The political history of the Republic of Dahomey from independence to the early seventies was marked by chronic political instability with numerous coups d'état, coup attempts and cabinet reshuffles. During this time, Adrien Degbey served twice as a government minister.

The first time, he was chosen and appointed minister of Labor and Social Affairs by Hubert Maga on 11 September 1963.[16] He served until 27 October of the same year when Colonel Christophe Soglo, Chief of Staff of the Army, forced the president to resign the office and took control of the country in a bloodless operation in order to prevent a civil war.[17]

One month later, Christophe Soglo offered Adrien Degbey to take part in a national constitutional committee which was composed of "experts, regional representatives, spiritual families, union representatives and youth organizations" in charge of reviewing a draft Constitution proposed by the interim government.[18]

As the colonel dissolved the Dahomeyan Unity Party, sole legal party in the country, on 13 November 1963,[19] Sourou-Migan Apithy and Justin Ahomadégbé founded a new one, the Dahomeyan Democratic Party (DDP)[lower-alpha 3] on 15 December. Adrien Degbey was elected officer of the political bureau as delegate of social affairs.[21]

In his memoirs, Bruno Amoussou related some confessions that Adrien Degbey made regarding this military transition period which led to the Nation's Second Republic. He criticized errors made on various events that happened far too quickly, such as the drafting of a new Constitution in only ten days, the foundation of a new sole legal party in 47 days and the holding of the parliamentary election.[22]

On 5 January 1964, the new Constitution was adopted by referendum and approved by 99.86% of voters.

When the army restored power to civilians, the DDP won the parliamentary election and all 42 seats in the National Assembly on 19 January 1964; Sourou-Migan Apithy became president of a coalition government and Justin Ahomadégbé was designated as premier and vice president on 25 January. Adrien Degbey joined the administration as minister of Rural Development and Cooperation.[23]

Promptly, economic problems, social issues, strikes, differing opinions on politics and irreversible tensions contributed to the government's instability that led to the resignation of Sourou-Migan Apithy on 27 November 1965 and Justin Ahomadégbé's one two days later. As president of the National Assembly, the interim was carried out by Tahirou Congacou who took on the powers of the president of the Republic on 29 November. He formed a restricted cabinet of five members; Antoine Boya succeeded both Adrien Degbey and François Aplogan as secretary of State for Finance, Economy, Rural Development and Cooperation.[24]

But Christophe Soglo (since promoted to the rank of general) was dissatisfied with the actions taken by Tahirou Congacou and decided to remove the latter from power on 22 December 1965. General Soglo took back the presidency until 17 December 1967, when young army officers led by Major Maurice Kouandété overthrew him.

On 25 January 1968, a constitutional committee was mandated by Lieutenant Colonel Alphonse Alley, interim head of State, to draft a Constitution, which would go to a nationwide referendum.[25][26] Adrien Degbey was part of this 54-member body[lower-alpha 4] which was composed of people picked for their regional origin and expertise.[27] A new Constitution was written and approved by 846,521-to-71,695 vote on 31 March of the same year.[28]

Adrien Degbey died in a car accident on 14 April 1971. He received a state funeral.[29]

A Middle School founded in 1972 in Sè was named after him.[30]

During his lifetime, Adrien Degbey received these distinctions:

• Medal of Honor for Primary Education[31][lower-alpha 5]
• Knight of the Ordre du Mérite social[31]
• Knight of the Ordre des Palmes académiques[31]
• Officer of the National Order of Dahomey[31][32]

• "Cabinet reshuffle in September 1963". Africa Diary. M. Chhabra. 1969. Retrieved 12 December 2021 – via Google Books.
• "The Constituent Congress of the Dahomey Democratic Party". Daily Report, Foreign Radio Broadcasts. No. 244. United States: Central Intelligence Agency. 18 December 1963. p. I1. Retrieved 12 December 2021 – via Google Books.
• Jakande, L. K. (1966). "Composition of the Government of the Republic of Dahomey". West Africa Annual. No. 3. James Clarke. p. 41. Retrieved 12 December 2021 – via Google Books.
• "Draft of Dahomey's new Constitution". Translations on Sub-Saharan Africa. No. 705. United States: Joint Publications Research Service. 3 April 1968. pp. 38–41. Retrieved 12 December 2021 – via Google Books.

• Fifatin, Agossou Maurice (1973). La société dahoméenne et ses institutions politiques (Thesis) (in French). University of Montpellier.
• Sabatier, Peggy R. (1977). Educating a colonial elite: the William Ponty School and its graduates (Thesis). University of Chicago. OCLC 990499639.

• Sabatier, Peggy R. (1979). "Charles Béart, "Bon Père" or "Le Colonialisme Incarné?": A Colonial School Director and the Ambiguities of Paternalism". Proceedings of the Meeting of the French Colonial Historical Society. Michigan State University Press. 4: 141–156. ISSN 0362-7055. JSTOR 45137339. OCLC 750596237.
• Karl-August, Emmanuel (First Quarter 1984). "Serpos Abdou Tidjani: L'homme et l'œuvre". Présence Africaine (in French). Présence Africaine Editions (129): 140–157. doi:10.3917/presa.129.0140. JSTOR 24350967.

• France-Outre-mer (30 July 1937). "Retour aux fétiches délaissés" [Return of the abandoned fetishes]. Retronews (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Collège d'Enseignement Général Adrien Degbey" [Adrien Degbey Middle School]. Espeduc (in French). Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• Le Phare du Dahomey (January 1947). "Résultats aux élections au Conseil Général de 1947" [Results of the 1947 General Council election]. Gallica (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• Decraene, Philippe (June 1968). "L'impasse est totale au Dahomey après les élections présidentielles" [Stalemate in Dahomey after the presidential election]. Le Monde diplomatique (in French). Retrieved 12 December 2021.

• Towou, André (1973). Au clair de lune sous les tropiques : contes (in French). Vol. 1. Cotonou: Éditions A.B.M. – via Google Books.
• Pliya, Jean (1993). L'histoire de mon pays, le Bénin (in French) (3rd ed.). Cotonou: La Librairie Notre-Dame.
• Huannou, Adrien (2000). La littérature béninoise de langue française (in French). Paris: Karthala Éditions. ISBN 978-2865371051.
• Goudjinou Métinhoué, Pierre (2006). Les ministres du Dahomey et du Bénin : mai 1957 - avril 2006 (in French) (1st ed.). Benin: Centre national de production de manuels scolaires. ISBN 978-9991960388.
• Amoussou, Bruno (2009). L'Afrique est mon combat (in French) (1st ed.). Paris: L'Archipel. ISBN 978-2809801576.
• Houngnikpo, Mathurin C.; Decalo, Samuel (2013). Historical Dictionary of Benin (4th ed.). Lanham, Toronto, Plymouth: The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0810871717.

• "Décret portant nomination et affectation de Monsieur Degbey Adrien" [Decree on the appointment and assignment of Mr Degbey Adrien]. Decree No. 1961-81 of 16 March 1961 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Décret portant formation du Gouvernement de la République du Dahomey" [Decree on the formation of the Government of the Republic of Dahomey]. Decree No. 1963-432 of 11 September 1963 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Décret portant sur l'abrogation du décret n° 432 du 11 septembre 1963 relatif à la formation du Gouvernement de la République du Dahomey." [Decree on the repeal of Decree No. 432 dated 11 September 1963 sets the formation of the Government of the Republic of Dahomey]. Decree No. 1963-488 of 27 October 1963 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Ordonnance portant sur la dissolution d'institutions et formation du gouvernement provisoire" [Ordonnance on the dissolution of political institutions and formation of the interim government]. Ordonnance No. 1963-1 of 28 October 1963 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Décret portant dissolution des partis et formations politiques." [Decree on the dissolution of political parties]. Ordonnance No. 1963-12 of 13 November 1963 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Décret portant sur la formation de la Commission Constitutionnelle Nationale" [Decree on the formation of the National Constitutional Commission]. Decree No. 1963-518 of 28 November 1963 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Décret portant sur le reclassement" [Decree on the redeployment of school inspectors]. Decree No. 1964-241 of 30 October 1964 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Décret portant sur la nomination" [Decree on the appointment of Mr. Antoine Boya]. Decree No. 1965-119-Bis of 11 December 1965 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Décret portant sur la dissolution du Parti Démocratique Dahoméen" [Decree on the dissolution of the Dahomeyan Democratic Party]. Decree No. 1965-121-Bis of 11 December 1965 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Décret portant sur l'inscription au tableau de concours d'admission et de promotion, à titre civil, dans l'Ordre National du Dahomey" [Decree on the admission and promotion in the National Order of Dahomey]. Decree No. 1967-294 of 31 August 1967 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Décret portant sur la création du Comité constitutionnel et la nomination du Président dudit Comité" [Decree on the creation of the Constitutional Committee and the appointment of its Chairman]. Decree No. 1967-441 of 22 December 1967 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "Décret portant nomination des membres du comité Constitutionnel" [Decree on the appointment of the members of the Constitutional Committee]. Decree No. 1968-19-Bis of 25 January 1968 (in French). The Presidency of the Republic of Dahomey. Retrieved 12 December 2021.