By: Austine Luseni
Energy Reformation
Fourah Bay Community, Eastern Freetown, Sunday 14 June, 2020.
The minister of energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay has today presented a brand new 400kva transformer to the people of Fourah Bay in Eastern Freetown, to help boost the supply of electricity in the community.
While addressing residents in the community, Mr Sesay said that he had received several concerns about the community going for a week or for weeks without electricity. This, according to him was unacceptable, considering the crucial place and strategic relevance of the community. Mr Sesay maintained that the 315 kva transformer which the community was relying on for the supply of electricity had developed serious mechanical problems as a result of the burden brought to bear on it, by the expansion of the community and the accompanying increase in the number of persons using electricity ,as well as the heavy appliances used.
The minister commended Honourable Koyo and Alhaji Sidi Bakarr for constantly reminding him about the electricity situation in the area and for championing the cause of the community. He stated that they were not in the community to repair the old and aged transformer, but to present to the people a brand new one, which in his estimation, would be more than enough to serve the electricity needs of the community and to boost quality.
Mr Sesay noted with concern and keen interest similar problems of transformer experienced in other nearby communities like the Savage Square-Bishop Johnson Community, promising that, in a not too distant future, theirs would also be looked into. He assured the community that their LV Panel will also be replaced with a brand new one, and called on them to own the transformer by securing it. He added that engineers would be sent to the area the following day to energize the transformer and promised that he would endeavour to visit the area to formally turn on the transformer after the energization process.
Earlier on, the minister used the occasion to remind the community about the threat of the corona virus, while also imploring them to continue to observe social distancing protocols and to adhere to other preventive regulations.
At the ceremony were the Member of Parliament Hon. Koyo, Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Energy Hon.Kekura Vandi, Alhaji Sidi Bakarr, AIG Samadia and other community stakeholders.
Minister of energy has shown no shortage of energy in finding solutions to electricity issues in different communities. This intervention could not have come at a better time than now as was evident in the rousing reception and popular euphoria with which the people greeted his visit and the presentation of the transformers.
