Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. A heated exchange has unfolded on Facebook between Abu Bakarr Boxx Conteh, Organizing Secretary for the opposition APC in the North West Region, and Myk Berewa, Director of Communications in the Office of the President, over the government’s track record on energy.
In a public post, Boxx Conteh criticized government officials for continuing to blame the APC for the country’s challenges. He said it’s been seven years since the APC left office, and yet they are still being held responsible for national setbacks.
He argued that the current leadership has simply failed to deliver, saying he had warned them from the start that they weren’t fit to lead Sierra Leone.
In response, Myk Berewa defended the administration’s record, focusing on progress in the energy sector. He wrote, “No administration in our history has invested in expanding and improving energy like this one,” Berewa said in his post, adding that the facts speak for themselves.
He outlined several developments completed within the president’s first five years. According to Berewa, energy access in the country rose from 16% in 2017 to 45% by July 2023. In 2018, the country had just under 185,000 registered EDSA customers. That number has grown by more than 300,000 new users.
Berewa added that the Bo-Kenema electricity lines, previously running on 33KV, were upgraded to 66KV. A 6-megawatt solar park has been completed and tested, and six solar power systems were installed at major government hospitals across the country.
He also highlighted the construction of five large substations in Telorma, Bekongor, Yiben, Fadugu, and Kamakwie, each with a 40MW capacity. Electricity infrastructure has been extended to 29 new communities, reaching over 15,000 households along the 225KV CLSG/WAPP transmission network.
In tackling energy-related crime, the government set up a Presidential Task Force to stop electricity infrastructure theft. In December 2021, a power purchase agreement was signed under the CLSG project. The government also commissioned the 225KV transmission line from Liberia to the Kenema and Telorma substations.
Berewa said the low and medium-voltage electricity networks in the Western Area were rehabilitated and expanded. He noted that electricity is being subsidized for over 300,000 registered EDSA users. He also confirmed a framework agreement with the European Union for the construction of 57 new solar mini-grids.
Finally, he stated that a 225KV, 50MW transmission line has been constructed from Mano Junction to Bumbuna.
As both sides continue to exchange views, the state of electricity remains a key concern for many Sierra Leoneans turning energy delivery into a defining issue in the national conversation. This is reflected in the comment sections, where citizens continue to express frustration over persistent power outages and call for visible results.
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