Cameroon: Mebo Ngo'o saved, Camrail officials to face jail terms for Eseka train wreck

President Paul Biya has ordered that those responsible for the Eseka Train Incident which killed at least 76 according to government song birds will be sanctioned following the release of the findings of the Eseka Commision Tuesday May 23, 2017

The report which will be sent to judicial authorities for all legal intents and procedures blames the railway transport outfit, CAMRAIL for being the main architect of the wreck on October 21, 2016 in Eseka. The Commission placed under the leadership of Prime Minister Philemon Yang worked with experts in railway safety who studied documents and made trips to the crash site to dig further.

Investigations show that over speeding of the train 152 that afternoon caused wagons to overturn into . As the train was running twice it's normal speed on the slopes. This was  principally due to lack of safety norms by CAMRAIL who amongst other misdeeds  did not heed to the conductor's concerns over the faulty nature of train evident in defective breaking system and lack of proper check up from Yaounde.

Shockingly critics who were demanding the head of Transport Minister, Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo'o over the tragedy were stunned as Biya cunningly dodged the issue. They argue that if the report is urging government to review the concession agreement between the state and CAMRAIL, then the ministry of Transport who is directly involved must also be held responsible since the agreement has failed to guarantee safety or railway users.  Besides  Mebe Ngo'o adviced on state radio that the railway be used without taking into account the company's capacity to deal with mass influx of passengers following the collapse of the Manyai bridge on the Douala- Yaounde road earlier that day. The ministry of public health has also come under fire from critics for not putting in place an effective Emergency response mechanism which increased the deaths. They wonder how the helicopter which brought three ministers from Yaounde to the crash site could not ferry wounded victims for quick recovery. Yet Mama Fouda of public Health is safe.

As some families struggle  with a lawsuit against CAMRAIL and Bolore, Biya has ordered the disbursement of 1 billion francs to compensate families who lost their loved ones as well help those in hospital and said the exercise should be through as early as possible. A monument will also be erected at the crash site to honour fallen Cameroonians.