Sierra Leone’s incompetent electric authority
Citizens all over the country have expressed their deepest frustration over the incompetent and disgraceful manner the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) is handling the electricity supply in the country especially in the capital city.
This medium has received over the past few weeks, several complaints of the incompetency and incapability of EDSA to handle the electricity supply in the country. The reasons most of the citizens deduced are the authority’s inability to provide regular power supply especially in Freetown, their inability to provide enough meters for the citizens and the usual faulty system of the Apator meters among others.
It could be recalled that about two years ago, the Government of Sierra Leone decided to privatize the energy sector by transforming it from the National Power Authority (NPA) to become a private entity that was divided in to Electricity Generation and Transmission Corporation (EGTC) and EDSA all in a bid to have an improve service delivery in terms of electricity supply in the country.
But to the greatest dismay of many Sierra Leoneans, these entities i.e. EGTC and EDSA, charged with the responsibility of providing electricity for the country seem inevitably incompetent and incapable of doing what they should do for the people.
When they started operation two years ago, they understandably changed all postpaid meters inherited from NPA to Pre-paid meters in a bid to adequately generate funds for the smooth running of their operations but till date electricity problem in the country especially Freetown is still a big course for concern leaving the citizens to ponder whether EDSA is actually up to the task.
There are so many issues still ravaging the energy sector. Some of which include the insufficient meters, a problem that has long been unattended to. It could be recalled that in October last year, over twenty thousand citizens in Freetown paid their money for meters. These meters were never made available until few weeks ago when few arrived leaving the issue still unattended to.
In the area of irregular supply of electricity, citizens all over the country especially in the capital Freetown are still bemoaning the inability of EDSA to provide regular electricity. A concern that has been similarly raised by institutions all over the city. Most of them complained that they are spending billions of Leones just in fuel purchase as a result of irregular supply of electricity
In the area of regular faulty system of the Apator meters, citizens in the past one week have complained bitterly about their inability to buy credit cards for their meters, because according to the management of EDSA, the system is faulty and that all Apator meters are going to be changed and thus depriving all those with Apator meters from accessing electricity in the interim.
When contacted for an explanation into the above concerns raised by members of the public, the Public Relations Officer of EDSA, Mr. Nepor denied that electricity is irregular as alleged by citizens adding that there has been a massive improvement in electricity supply since EDSA started operation. He noted that there has been a big difference between EDSA and NPA in terms of electricity supply.
On the issue of the insufficient meters, Mr. Nepor revealed that sufficient meters amounting to fifteen thousand Apator meters have now arrived and distribution is ongoing across the city while assuring that the meter issue has finally been laid to rest.
We will therefore as a medium continue to bring you details of happenings in EDSA in our subsequent editions. Stay tuned.
By Ibrahim Alusine Kamara
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