A crucial meeting was convened on Friday, January 12th, 2024,by the Sierra Leone Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (SLEWRC) at its headquarters on 55 Berwick Street in Freetown. The session involved discussions with the Boards and Managements of the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) and the Electricity Generation and Transmission Commission (EGTC) to address the persistent power outages in the city.
Mohamed Sesay, Chairman of the SLEWRC Board, opened the meeting, emphasizing the regulatory role of the Commission and the flood of complaints from consumers and the media regarding inadequate electricity supply. Dr. Emmanuel Mannah, the Director-General of the SLEWRC, highlighted the meeting’s significance to the public, stressing the challenges faced by EDSA in December 2023.
The recent power outages were attributed to damage sustained by the transformer at the Kingtom power station on December 23, 2023. Milton Kangbai, Director-General of EDSA, clarified that the incident was unforeseen and beyond their control. Criminals had broken into the Kingtom power station, damaging the transformer and causing a significant oil spillage. Kangbai reassured the public that EDSA had swiftly addressed the issue within 48 hours and had secured transmission oil from Liberia to refill the transformer.
Kangbai acknowledged the 30% drop in power supply during the incident but emphasized that EDSA had enough reserve transformer oil in-country, ensuring normal electricity provision. He also stated that the security at the Kingtom power station had been strengthened to prevent future incidents.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, responsible for supervising EDSA and EGTC, provided additional insights during the meeting. The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy urged regular meetings, criticized the unbundling of the electricity sector, and called for a review of regulations governing the sector. He highlighted the success of the sector, with electricity generation increasing from 16 to 30 megawatts.
Stakeholders also addressed challenges such as the vandalization of transformers, fire accidents in Kono District due to an overloaded network, and the identification of EDSA staff. Joe Lahai, Director-General of EDSA, stressed the need for a deadline for the investigation into the Kingtom power station incident and highlighted increased revenue generation.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by the Legal Affairs and Compliance Officer at SLEWRC, underscoring the collaborative effort required to address the challenges facing the electricity sector in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone oh Sierra Leone!
Always embroil in problem as if you were named problem,
Our Leaders and Toddlers have so much in common!
Salone oh Salone, when would you wake up from this slumber?
Salone slumber’s one step forward and two steps backward.
Even ceremonial armies do not match like that.
One day you fix something to bring smile,
the very next day workers clad as workers steals it,
They don’ care putting us two steps backward.
EDSA Staffs steal and install fake meters on homes.
EDSA staffs collect revenue from the fake meters every month.
The management knows about it.
the ordinary man at EDSA knows about it.
the customers know about it.
It is conspiracy to the highest degree.
It is thief, thiefy salone man thief.
Yet no one cares.
Why would they if State House can steal?
Everyone pays lip service.
Salone oh Salone!
Always embroil in myriads of problems
You take one step forward and two steps backward.
Our leaders and toddlers have so much in common!