EDSA denies responsibility for power fluctuations in Freetown, blames residents’ electrical wirings 

The Electricity Distribution Supply Authority (EDSA) has denied responsibility for recent power fluctuations in Freetown. The Community Relations Officer, Sahr Nepoh told Radio Democracy that the on-and-off power supply is not the company’s fault. 

He said they ensure to provide electricity from the back end, but the faulty electrical installation in people’s houses has been counterproductive. People living in the capital have complained of frequent power outages in the last two months.

“In a single day, we had power outages up to five times,” said Ahmed Tejan Sandi, a resident of Aberdeen, western Freetown. The President of Sierra Leone’s Reporters Union, Amadu Lamrana Bah said on Twitter: 

“President Bio, if you are told that the power supply in Freetown is uninterrupted, they are lying.” 

He started off by saying they should be honest enough to declare an electricity emergency, describing the recent on-and-off trend as “unbearable”.

The electricity problems in Freetown are something that has been grappled with in past years. The government has made some investments in the sector but there have been issues taking its strides aback. It has been more of a step forward and a step backwards as far as the electricity supply is concerned.

The World Bank has also supported energy access for Sierra Leoneans in projects worth millions of US dollars. Yet there have been problems which citizens say have not been adequately explained.

A major fire incident which burnt down hundreds of houses at Susan’s Bay community in Freetown was said to be a result of power swings by EDSA, according to residents.

The commission has asked members of the public to report some of their concerns and they would try to solve them, according to Mr. Nepoh.