By: Austine Luseni
President Dr Julius Maada Bio has acknowledged and appreciated conscious steps or efforts taken by his energy minister Alhaji Kanja Sesay, together with his ministry in reforming and revamping the country’s energy infrastructure in line with the New Direction manifesto promises. The President made this acknowledgement and endorsement on the Occasion of the State Opening of Parliament, on Thursday 28th May, 2020.
President Bio maintained that with the current energy access being at 18% , he was pleased with the efforts, strategies and policies put in place by the minister and his team in pursuing Government’s overall policy objective of providing adequate, reliable and sustainable power supply nationwide, to stimulate development through the consolidation, improvement and expansion of existing and potential energy supply infrastructure.
The ministry’s effort in rehabilitating transmission or distribution lines or networks through a World Bank funded project has not escaped the worthy attention of the President. With the commitment of the energy minister and a dedicated team, the ministry is currently improving the transmission and distribution network in Freetown and its environs and has completed work on the installation of three of the five substations in central, eastern and western Freetown. Old overhead lines are being replaced, and poles and pylons erected to enhance effective transmission and distribution.
President Bio also acknowledged the giants efforts of the minister and his team in bending backwards to ensure that a six-megawatt Solar Park Project at Newton, which is co-funded by the Governments of Abu Dhabi and Sierra Leone is completed and commissioned in September 2020. The ministry’s launch of an ADB/DFID funded project for the rehabilitation of township networks was also commendably acknowledged.
In respect of the regional electrification project, the energy ministry’s relentless drive in ensuring the completion and effective functioning of the CLSG energy project was recognized and saluted. Work on this project is in advanced stage with some substations already completed. This project will also positively impact the rural electrification drive.
The President noted with delight and satisfaction several other energy projects funded by the Government and international agencies which the ministry has demonstrated a remarkable sense of maturity and urgency in handling and in implementing. With such dedication from the minister and his team, the realization of the dreams of the President in relation to energy could just be a matter of time.
Alhaji Kanja Sesay continues to impress the President with his gradual but outstandingly remarkable strides in his quest to reform the energy sector in line with the aspirations of President Bio. With him in that position, the future for Sierra Leone in the energy domain looks bright.
