By Amin Kef (Ranger)
Seemingly, residents of Freetown will for a considerable period of time continue to grapple with the frequent electricity outage that has now become the order of the day creating a lot of inconveniences and adversely affecting businesses.
It is very uncertain as to whether the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) will very soon overcome the challenges it has been claiming are negatively impinging the Western Area network. This assumption could be predicated on the unfilled hopes that the electricity service provider has been giving to its numerous and compliant customers or consumers encapsulated in past Press Releases.
EDSA’s latest Press Release dated the 16th April, 2024 will only be described as heightening the lack of hope that the electricity situation will soon improve. In it EDSA stated that it wishes to inform the general public that due to a number of concurrent unfortunate challenges along the energy supply chain, it is currently challenged in providing adequate electricity to the Freetown network.
The service provider furthered how it would like its customers to know that this unfortunate situation has resulted to a reduced power supply and distribution to residents of Freetown, until the problem is completely resolved.
It continued that together with other key stakeholders they are using all resources within their reach to resolve the issue maintaining that once addressed, more power will be made available for supply and distribution to valued customers in Freetown.
EDSA ended by apologizing to residents of Freetown for the inconvenience that the situation has caused and promised to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
However, juxtaposed with the contents of the aforementioned EDSA Press Release this medium learnt from a very reliable source that Karpowership, a subsidiary of the Karadeniz Energy Group that entered into agreements in 2018 and 2020 with the SLPP led Government, to supply electricity to Sierra Leone’s State power utility, in the recent past, decided to reduce its power supply to only 5MW from 65 MW for the security forces and hospitals.
Also understood was that Karpowership took that decision on the basis of overdue payment on the part of the Government, amounting to over Forrty Million Dollars ($40M) and despite assurances, the Government’s failure to settle those arrears finally culminated in the reduction of power supply to a minimum level.
Indeed, it is an undeniable truth that reliable and constant electricity supply is indispensable for any form of development to flourish.
