With the expiration of the deadline set for the attainment of uninterrupted
electricity supply in the capital Freetown on 20 December, the government of
Sierra Leone boasts of recording significant progress in its emergency energy
recovery drive.
For more than three years, residents of Freetown have been grappling with
persistent power blackout, which negatively impacted on economic development in
the country.
Critics believed that the ousted regime's inability to address
the epileptic power supply was one of the major factors responsible for its
removal from office.
But the newly elected Sierra Leonean President, Ernest
Bai Koroma, vowed to provide constant and uninterrupted power supply in
Freetown.
A thermal electricity company based in Belgium, Global Trading
Company (GTC) last month won the contract to provide thermal power for Freetown
by 20 December.
Last Tuesday, Freetown residents rejoiced the arrival a 15
mega watts plant. Its arrival came on the heels of that of a 10 mega watts plant
at the weekend.
Jubilant supporters of President Koroma's governing All
People's Congress government lined up on major streets of Freetown to accompany
the new machines to the Kingtom power station. The highly charged supporters
wore T-shirts with the inscription "Bye-Bye to Kabbah Tiger, welcome Ernest
Electricity." Sierra Leoneans named the ex-president after an Asian generator
called Tiger, which was common in the country when he [Kabbah] was in office.
An official of GTC told afrol News that they would produce 15 mega watts on
a 24 hour basis for the National Power Authority (NPA) which in turn choose the
mode of distribution. He said the late arrival of the machines was a factor
responsible for not meeting the government's 20 December deadline. The work
would be completed by the December 23.
Minister of Energy and Power, Haja
Hafsatu Kabbah said the arrival of the plants is an indication that “electricity
is here.” She said the government is also doing repairs and maintenance work on
the old machines and NPA facilities.
Freetown needs up to 70 mega watts
power. Residents of the city and its suburbs are anticipating to celebrate their
Christmas and New Year feasts in bright, instead of darkness.
With the expiration of the deadline set for the attainment of uninterrupted
electricity supply in the capital Freetown on 20 December, the government of
Sierra Leone boasts of recording significant progress in its emergency energy
recovery drive.
