PHOTO: Families of WAEC staff killed in the boat disaster
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Families of nearly ten staffers of the West African Examinations Council Monrovia office who died in the vessel Niko Ivanka boat disaster last month have been staging a peaceful assembly at the WAEC offices in Monrovia’s Congo Town suburb.
Early Thursday morning August 5, 2021, families of Deceased WAEC staff demanded the immediate dismissal WEAC, Maritime Authority and National Port Authority bosses and urged that they submit themselves to a speedy and fair investigation.
They are demanded the immediate arrest of the boat owner, while investigation is ongoing.
On July 18th, 2021, Maritime Authority Commissioner Lenn Eugene Nagbe revealed that the vessel Niko Ivanka sank in Liberian waters near Marshall, officially with nine crew members and nine WAEC staffers along with others.
But the sunken vessel had been detained at the Freeport of Monrovia, meaning it was not licensed to sail and in addition it was a cargo vessel, not a passenger boat.
In their six-count press statement read by the chairman of the deceased WAEC staffers, Jelson E.S. Keamah said they are also demanding government to stop WEAC or put an immediate halt to the secret recruitment of their loved ones position at WEAC until after burial.
They want the government to put hold on the administration of the WAEC exams until their loved ones are laid to rest.
The distressed families warned that failure of the Liberian government to meet these demand, they shall hold a peaceful protest at the concerned entities with a sit-in action and closure of their doors until otherwise.
They also said they may result to legal action against the government.
The bereaved families are appealing to President George Weah, the National Legislature, foreign embassies, UN, ECOWAS, MRU, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Carter Center, WAEC International, Civil Society, Council of Churches, educational stakeholders and all humaniterian organization to help seek justice on behalf of their love ones.
Their press release added that on July 17th, 2021, their brothers sailed on a vessel Niko Ivanka on government duty for the sole purpose of administering WAEC test precisely for the 3rd and 6th graders.
Nine of their brothers from WEAC getting missing one was later rescued alive, six others have been discovered dead and two others are still missing from WAEC, while others are not accounted for, the statement said.
Since this incident occurred about a month ago, the victims’ families observed with dismay that the national government is not giving it any attention.
They accused the government of downplaying the gravity of this disaster and has not made any major declaration on it. The government has come under criticisms from some quarters about not declaring a day of national mourning ever since the boat disaster.
The government has not told them how long the investigation surrounding the death of their relatives going to last or when they hope to receive the bodies of their loved ones.
In their statement, they hold WAEC, Maritime Authority and National Port Authority responsible for the deaths of their loved ones and up till now, no one has told them how their relatives got on that banned cargo boat.
According to the families, little or no effort is being made to find the other missing WAEC staffs.
They also claimed that the management and owner of the sunken vessel, Niko Ivanka that caused the disaster are freely moving about their normal activities and their love ones are in funeral home dead.
The families of the victims have emphasized the need for speedy investigation, with findings published showing entities and persons responsible with specific recommended actions.