By Hasbin Shaw in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Residents of Firemambo Community, Waterloo, Western Area Rural, have expressed their concern in an interview recently that the transformer installed by the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) in their community over a year now, has proven to be a toy.
Our Correspondent said on Tuesday 16th May, 2018, One of the residents in Waterloo, Firemambo Community, Alusine Kargbo said that the transformer has been installed in their community over a year now without operating.
“Since the installation of this transformer, there had never been a single worker from EDSA coming here to check the status of the transformer or the community, if it had been connected. And we were hoping to be enjoying electricity in this community when they first came here to do the installation,” Kargbo said.
He said most of the community elders have been visiting the office of EDSA to know the reason behind the long-term delay, but all efforts hase been proven futile.
Another resident, Adama Bangura, confirmed that the transformer has been there over a year but added that they community is struggling for electricity supply.
She said that “our struggle for electricity supply in this community is becoming hopeless, we see many other community here in Waterloo and other places have been connected while ours is yet to be connected.”
“Seeing this transformer here every day in such condition makes us believe it a toy because it is not operational. Our big question is that why this transformer which has been installed over a year now is not operating,” she asked.
EDSA’s Head of Communications, Sahr Daniel Nepor, said in an interview that the delayed of Firemambo Community transformer is due to feasibility study, which is the normal procedure carried by EDSA in every area that is to be connected with electricity supply.
According to him, ”After the installation of the transformer, we were hoping that the people of Firemambo community will cooperate by installing electric polls, going in for meters in other for the community to meet to the required capacity for the transformer to start operation.
He said because most of the houses in that community at that time was not well electrify and most do not have meters, adding that they are waiting for the community people to meet to the specific requirement in order for the community to start receiving electricity distribution.
“We didn’t want to connect the transformer when most of the houses in that community were not well electrified and that could cause the transformer to blow off,” he said.
He said the community has now met to the criteria, and EDSA has ascertained that they could connect the transformer and there would be no problem. “Firemambo community will be connected in no distance time, as we are working on it now,” he said.
