By Politico staff writer
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay, has expressed outrage at people who have in recent times been engaged in vandalizing and stealing electricity installations and networks in different parts of the country.
A report by the Ministry’s Communications Expert Austin Luseni says the extent of destruction and theft of EDSA installations has caused exacerbated power outages or erratic electricity supply to residents in the affected areas. “Alhaji Kanja Sesay said that he couldn’t fathom how criminals or unpatriotic citizens could even conceive the idea of destroying electricity installations with a view to preventing citizens from enjoying one of their fundamental social rights”. But he added that: “the Government through the Ministry of Energy is pulling all the stops to address the perennial problems that the country was grappling with in the energy sector by undertaking a variety of energy projects.”
The report quoted the Minister saying, he had received reports of the vandalization of about 41 key installations, adding that the acts were purely borne out of the “wickedness of criminals and saboteurs”. He described the theft and vandalization as destructive and damaging to the sector and genuine efforts in transforming the energy sector.
The minister said punitive actions would be taken and legal actions instituted against those caught in the “cowardly” act, noting that law enforcement authorities like the Sierra Leone Police and the Office of National Security (ONS), had been appropriately informed.
He said the Ministry and EDSA would intensify active community sensitization and awareness-raising campaigns, adding that communities should be told about the importance of owning the facilities and how their indifference to protecting government facilities would return to haunt them. He said the National Commission for Civic Education has also been accordingly informed.
“The Ministry of Energy and EDSA are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to assure citizens of reliable and affordable electricity and in protecting key electricity installations,” according to the report.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online 12/03/21
