Gabon: Prime Minister delivers a message of firmness to the agents of the Ministry of Transport

Relatives of those missing in the sinking of the ferry Esther Miracle, gather at the port of Libreville, March 13, 2023. © AFP/Steeve Jordan

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More than a week after the sinking of the ferry "Esther Miracle" whose provisional toll is 21 dead, 16 missing and 124 survivors, the Prime Minister, Alain Claude Bilie By Nze received officials from the Ministry of Transport and Merchant Marine. Objective: to draw the attention of its employees to the shortcomings and dysfunctions of their ministry and to remedy them.

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With our correspondent in Libreville, Yves Laurent Goma

In his address, Alain Claude Bilie By Nze described the weaknesses and shortcomings of the transport administration as a leader of the opposition. "Conflicts of interest, self-interest... There is too much neglect, too many compromises, too many privileges. And too many small arrangements.

All these flaws are not unrelated to the sinking of the ferry Esther Miracle, said the Prime Minister. Transport Minister Brice Constant Paillat resigned on Thursday. Sanctions must apply at all levels, the head of government said. "Complacency must stop. It doesn't matter who everyone is. It doesn't matter what the cover is. It doesn't matter what the umbrella is. Everyone will respond.

Mixed feelings from the main unions in the Ministry of Transport after listening to the Prime Minister. "The problem that is posed today in relation to this disaster is the quality of the men assigned to the task. We call on the Prime Minister to organize a general assembly of this sector, because there is a lot to say. He spoke to us, we listened. But we also want to talk.

In memory of the victims of the shipwreck, Bilie By Nze announced that a stele will be erected at Port Mole, the starting point of the ship that will never reach Port-Gentil, its destination.

► Read also Gabon: end of national mourning, survivors of the shipwreck create a collective to demand justice

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• Gabon
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