Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay is caught in allegations of discrimination in the distribution of electricity in the southern city of Bo.
Residents say New Site community in Bo where the Minister hails gets frequent electricity supply while other communities in the same town are deprived.
Those whose communities do not enjoy power supply expressed their disgruntlement with the Minister who they also accused to have employed policies that is not in the interest of the state and government.
The Minister, the allegation continues, is doing a disservice to them owing to the double standards in the distribution of light by the Electricity Supply and Distribution Authority (EDSA).
The Minister of Energy cannot be reached for comment.
Bo city, in recent times, is known to have constantly faced the problem of intermittent power supply from the Dodo HEP and the Bo thermal plants producing 6MW peak power under the twining system of the Bo-Kenema Power Services.
The city, residents say, have gone for three consecutive days without electricity.
One of the residents, Kadiatu Fofanah says, the situation is creating the greatest discomfort for them.
Electrical appliances, she went on, had lain fallow owing to the persistent absence of electricity.
The electricity affects residents in different ways especially loss of money which they get from sales cold products.
“For over three days, I lost completely the money I have been making. The situation badly affects me as a parent,” she complained.
The absence of energy in certain communities in Bo city makes for a dull and boring life compounded by Covid-19 impact.
Another resident, Isata Amara also made similar complaint about the electricity problem that currently confronts Bo city.
She said Bo had gone for several days without electricity adding that even when light comes, the voltage is not enough to power the items.
“The current energy supply cannot operate the electrical appliances especially freezers,” she says.
As if to confirm the sad situation she is narrating, Isata opens her freezer and removed a sacket of warm water which has been in the freezer for days without getting cold.
The situation, she says, is a source of embarrassment since to get cold water during hot weather is a problem for the Bo residents.
Other residents especially at New Site Section in Bo City say they are better off with electricity supply as hardly a day goes by without seeing light in their houses and shops.
Sheku Konneh, a resident in the community told Nightwatch they enjoyed light there almost every day.
Bo city is the nation’s second capital that has seen a lot of improvement in terms of social services over the years, but much more has to be done.
The southern city has always struggled with the problem of electricity from time immemorial, and signs of the problem receding are virtually non-existent.
The Bo-Kenema Power Services commonly known as BKPS seem to be active in the rains but weak in the dries.
EDSA’s arrival in the electricity-stricken town has not saved the municipality from darkness.
Sierra Leone is still rated as one with the least energy supply in the world.
Recent reports have shown that the entire power generation in the country falls below 100MW with less than 50MW coming from the Bumbuna Hydro-Electric Power Station in the North, 6MW from Dodo in the East and 2MW from Charlotte in the West.
It is also noted that the rest of power supply is generated by hired or old thermal plants using heavy fuel in Freetown, Lunsar, Bo, and Lungi.
The country still struggles with what many residents say high cost of energy supply in the face of a pre-paid metre system.
It is widely claimed that Sierra Leone is among many countries with the highest electricity tariff in the sub-region.
The high cost of electricity is one of the most frequently cited challenges facing investors who have had a preference to own and operate generators and thermal plants to facing a huge financial burden.
Public Relations Officer of EDSA, Sahr Nepor recently disclosed to Nightwatch that he could not quantify the exact megawatts in store to power households in Sierra Leone.
The EDSA PRO made the statement in an exclusive, recent interview with Nightwatch.
However, At a press briefing at the Ministry of Information and Communication, the former Minister Energy and power, Henry Macauley said the past government had ensured a power supply base of over 200MW.
The Minister pointed at the Hydro-Electric Power Project and the Karpowership as energy bases that significantly improved the amount of Megawatts in the country.
The departure of Karpowership from Sierra Leone, few months back, meant another setback for the electricity sector.
In the 2018 campaign, improvement of electricity supply across the country was one of the key campaign promises made by the current government.
Government through the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) manifesto most popularly known as the ‘People’s Manifesto’ promised to provide electricity in sufficient quantities to all regions of the country.
The aim was to permit “the continuous realization of the developmental goals of industry and the general population.”
The specific objectives, the manifesto maintains, government seeks to achieve is the restoration of electricity supply to all district capitals, ensuring a rural electrification project, institution of a rural electricity board and fund among others.
“Each year, at least five villages and two towns in each district will join the national grid or connected off-grid on standalone or mini-hydro schemes. Massive investment in renewable energy potential of the country in the areas of solar hydro, wind and biomass,” the manifesto maintains.
Promotion of the use of renewable and modern forms of energy, encouraging the start of mini-hydro schemes as well as the provision of incentives to companies in the energy sector, enhancement of female access to modern energy by investing in rural electrification project among others were key promises contained in the People’s manifesto.
The current government made the fine promises for the energy sector against the backdrop of a perceived weakness of the former government to deliver the much-needed service to the people.
The SLPP government had previously accused the previous government of spending too much in the energy sector, but realising little.
“Between 2007 and 2012, APC spent huge resources on electricity estimated at over US$300 Million, yet total electricity generated is barely 80MW, far below the target of 1,000MW by 2018,” the People’s manifesto alleged.
Electricity supply in major towns and districts, the document maintains, remains irregular.
Solar Street lights installed in district capitals by the past government, it maintained, was insecure and some have fallen into disrepair and the batteries and panels have been stolen.
“Most of these solar street lights are off because of low quality of the solar lights or lack of clear policy on maintenance,” the document further claims.
In 2011, Sierra Leone Parliament enacted the National Electricity Act of 2011 with the main aim of unbundling the infamous National Power Authority into two companies: the Electricity Generation and Transmission Company and the Electricity Distribution and Transmission Authority.
An energy regulatory agency for electricity was set up, and an energy policy formulated and ratified by parliament.
Despite legal and policy measures embarked upon by the former government for the enhancement of the electricity in the country, the sector is still fraught with challenges which seem insurmountable to date.
The SLPP, then in opposition, seriously questioned the snail pace and poor implementation model of the policy.
“The APC Government has made little effort to implement the energy policy and only recently was the Bumbuna Hydro-electric power phase-II provides 130MW of electricity ratified by parliament,” the document maintains.
In spite of fine promises loaded in the people’s manifesto, Sierra Leone continues to grapple with the energy sector.
Bo City residents, especially Kadiatu Fofanah and Isata Amara, seem to have been the hardest-hit and have called on government to swiftly rectify the problem.