Too disappointing, Bumbuna!

All these past days, the local media have been reporting the sad news, the dams at Bumbuna are dry, which means extensive power cuts across the length and breadth of the City of Freetown.

This is not the kind of news residents of the capital would cherish at this crucial moment.

Long before the sad news spread across the city, many parts of Freetown have been in permanent darkness. The National Power Authority (NPA) has not been sincere with her customers by alerting them against the incessant power cuts as frequently experienced in homes and businesses.

It is disappointing to note that in coming into office in 2007, Bumbuna was at the heart of President Koroma’s agenda for change with the overall objective of propelling both human and material development in Sierra Leone following years of economic decadence.

The President devoted all his might, time and energy to ensure that the Bumbuna hydro project became a reality so that it can end the vicious circle of darkness that had engulfed this nation for generations.

Sadly though, less than a year after the project was commissioned in November 2009, Bumbuna started experiencing technical hiccups amidst massive expectations, to an extent what was expected to revive our hopes as a people for a brighter future became a source of frustration for many.

The ‘Kabbah Tigers’ we were enticed to do away with were gradually been repositioned to replace our mighty Bumbuna light in many homes and business houses.

What is beginning to serve as the biggest disappointment is that at a time when city residents are poised to celebrate their country’s 50th independence anniversary in the most ecstatic and fashionable manner, Bumbuna is failing them. What a shame!

With our golden jubilee taking place during the Christian holy week of Easter, God will not forgive the makers of this national embarrassment.

However, Bumbuna apart, one begins to wonder what has happened to the Sulzer 4 and 5 generators which before the advent of Bumbuna had been salvaging this city’s power situation?
Close to 2010, we were informed of the arrival and installation of two Thermal generators at the Kingtom power station. These thermal machines were intended to serve as standby generators, so that each time Bumbuna goes dry or suffers some headache these generators would be readily switched on.

There was even talk of installing one of the generators at the Blackhall Road power station to serve the east end of the city.

If we are to go by this information, then we are obliged to ask what is the present condition of these generators that they have not been able to adequately complement Bumbuna?

What is puzzling in all this is the conspicuous silence of the Energy Minister, Prof. Ogunlande who in the past would not remain silent even for a day when something went wrong with Bumbuna.

Today, customers are left to guess the problems afflicting our energy sector. Today customers are unsure as to when they will receive electricity in their homes or offices on any one given day.

Instead, all what has been heard from NPA is urging customers to pay their bills.

This medium has not been able to confirm it, but we have heard that in the business district of Freetown, businessmen have to bribe NPA for them get electricity in their places; by this way, we are pretty sure NPA workers have been amassing huge sums of money, especially in a situation where the electricity supply is never certain or only comes on once in a while.

In any case, at Sierra Express Media, we view this sad development, especially when all are gearing up for the golden jubilee, as most disappointing.

It’s a huge disappointment, this Bumbuna!

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