rewarded with a post in the government, and the MSD did not even receive a post in the Bureau of the National Assembly. Oba was dissatisfied by that outcome, feeling that his party was entitled to representation on the Bureau due to its share of seats. At around the same time, Oba was reportedly in conflict with Judicaël Okemba, who headed a private telecommunications company, Afripa Telecom Congo; notably, Okemba's father was Jean-Dominique Okemba, who was in turn a nephew of Sassou Nguesso and a very influential adviser to him. Meanwhile, SOTELCO's financial situation was continuing to deteriorate. By October 2007, the company could no longer pay its employees and was embroiled in a dispute with trade unions. In December 2007, various parties supporting Sassou Nguesso formed the Rally of the Presidential Majority (RMP), a grouping that was intended to provide a basis for better organizational coordination among Sassou Nguesso's supporters. Oba's MSD refused to join the RMP. On 5 February 2008, he announced plans for a rally in Brazzaville on 16 February to express support for Sassou Nguesso's new social policies and "ensure their implementation", and also to launch the MSD's women's organization, Sisters of Denis Sassou Nguesso. On the same occasion, he affirmed that the MSD would present its own candidate lists in the 2008 local elections, separate from the RMP's joint candidate lists. Speaking to his constituents on 27 February 2008, Oba discussed plans to create a Deputy's House in the constituency to facilitate the implementation of campaign promises and receive ideas and views from the people. He stressed, in response to constituent concerns, that the five-year parliamentary term was only just beginning and that all of his promises would be fulfilled, noting that he had already provided an ambulance, which would be kept at the Deputy's House. In early 2008, SOTELCO was suffering some serious problems; months of wages had gone unpaid and the company was not performing competitively. Less than a year after the parliamentary election, Oba was removed from his post as Administrator-General of SOTELCO by order of President Sassou Nguesso on 5 March 2008. Although many considered Oba's management of the company to be poor, Sassou Nguesso's decision to remove him came as a surprise, as Oba had seemed "untouchable". Many SOTELCO employees were reportedly pleased by the decision. Emmanuel Koukambakana, who was designated to take over the company's administration in an interim