Gabon’s ghost worker purge: can 11 billion CFA francs in savings really reach the people?

Can a country recover billions of francs simply by removing workers who never showed up? In Gabon, that question is no longer theoretical. The transitional authorities have officially dismissed more than 1,400 public employees for abandoning their posts, following a sweeping accounting and biometric audit designed to clean up the state payroll.

How ghost workers drained the treasury for years

For a long time, many individuals kept collecting their monthly salaries without ever setting foot in an office. Some were living abroad. Others held simultaneous jobs in the private sector. Others had simply walked away from their desks, yet their names remained on the payroll.

By removing 1,473 agents who failed to appear at their posts, the Gabonese state expects to save more than 11 billion CFA francs (roughly 16.7 million euros) every year. According to the government, that money will be redirected toward projects that directly benefit the population: renovating hospitals, building schools, and recruiting genuine teachers and healthcare workers.

Strict controls, but verification continues

While many citizens have welcomed the decision, tired of seeing public funds wasted, some unions are urging caution. They want guarantees that no regular worker was dismissed by mistake because of a technical glitch in the database.

The ministry has stated that questionable cases will be reviewed individually. At the same time, the state warns that anyone who received wages without working could face legal action to repay the undue money.

A necessary cleanup for the future

This large-scale operation reflects the current authorities’ determination to restore order in the management of the country. But dismissing absentees is not enough: the government must also ensure these bad habits do not return, and that every public franc is now used for Gabon’s development.

By Emmanuel Mbarga — Reporter