Sierra Leone: Energy Minister Kanja Sesay has done it again

Commentary

By Gibril Koroma, Editor/Publisher, Toronto, Canada

There has been some wonderful news from Freetown Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Parliament has ratified an agreement between the government of Sierra Leone and a Turkish company called Karadeniz Powership Kaya Bey company that is currently providing electricity in several countries Africa,Europe, the Middle East and as far away as Cuba.

In West Africa, Karadeniz is present in neighbouring Guinea, the Gambia, Senegal, Ghana, and Guinea Bissau. It’s not clear whether an agreement has signed with Liberian government but intense negotiations were afoot two years ago.

What Karadeniz Powership does is provide electricity to needy countries through huge generators or plants mounted on floating ships through the local electricity suppliers. In Sierra Leone they do this through the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA).

Some of the parliamentarians were complaining about electricity tariffs in Sierra Leone but if we consider the value of the Leone vis a vis the American dolla which is the standard currency for international commerce, the price for electricity in our country should be one of the lowest in the world.

The objective for government has been to provide sustainable electricity for the whole country but that will take some time not only for Sierra Leone but for the whole of the West African sub-region and beyond as populations grow and urban settlements expand.

The contract with Karadeniz is for five years and hopefully by the end of those five years other sources of electricity like the forthcoming West African Power pool, solar energy and Bumbuna would be able to service the country in a significant way.

The importance of electricity can never be underplayed especially in our current digital age where almost any activity or business enterprise depends on electricity. With abundant electricity, most people would be able to earn a living without government support.

The dry season and Christmas are coming in Sierra Leone. Every Sierra Leonean will therefore look up to the government for the much-needed electricity for business and entertainment now that Covid has almost disappeared in the country.

No wonder the usually caustic and gloomy opposition parliamentarians are all smiles over this agreement.

Ernergy Minister Kanja Sesay (photo) should be commended for running that ministry without the huge scandals it was known for during the last administration and for providing a reasonable amout of electricity for Sierr Leoneans all over the country, most notably, the urban centres.