News Story

FREETOWN: NEW PEOPLE CORRESPONDENT: In several interviews with world media since his accession to power, President Ernest Bai Koroma has had just one bragging point: "I have supplied 24 hours of electricity to the capital city in less than 90 days in office." Recently, the APC spin boxes and machines have seemingly gone as mute and as quiet as the President himself about the "24hrs electricity" bragging point. Yesterday, the All Peoples Congress (APC) attempted to put a fine face on this failed and largely expensive promise. They announced formally that they were rationing electricity with large parts of Freetown slated to be thrown into perpetual darkness for 3 days at a time. Most Sierra Leoneans are now asking in the midst this pervasive hunger, unemployment, filth, hardship, and now darkness and hopelessness whether this is the paradise that Ernest Koroma and his APC promised?

The sexy name adopted to put a nice face on the deteriorating situation is "load sharing." Homes and private businesses will now get electricity once every three days.

Following is the preamble to the announcement:

National Power Authority (NPA)
Western Area Load-sharing Switching Programme For CATS Machines in Operation (15MW)
PUBLIC NOTICE-National Power Authority (NPA) is pleased to inform the General Public and especially consumers of electricity, that considering the present status of its available generating capacity and the inequitable distribution of electricity supply to the city in the recent past, the General Manager Dr. Zubairu Kaloko together with his Management Team has thought it prudent to re-introduce the LOAD SHARING PROGRAMME effective Monday 5th May 2008 wherein consumers will be informed and assured of an even and equitable supply of electricity at specific areas at a given time. This is also to ensure a fair and unbiased rotational switching, which will be done sequentially depending on generation output unless otherwise there is fault or machine unavailability.

Here now is a summary of the Programme Forecast. A comprehensive daily forecast will be broadcast on radio on a daily basis.

Summary of Programme 1. Essential Service 24 hours -5MW 27 Major Customers such as Hospitals, Government Institutions etc.

2. Hotels :3MW 24 hours Revenue to sustain the operation of the Authority 3. Banks: 3.5MW 12 hours day time from Monday to Friday 4. MDIs: 4MW 12 hours -7am-7pm (14 customers) 5. Commercial Districts: 5 MW -12 hours daytime 16 customers -7 am -7pm daily 6. Security Areas :1MW 12 hours Night time 6pm- 6am daily (3 customers) Zone 1: 10MW –WEST Hill Station, Wilberforce, Spur Road, Lumley to Wilkinson Road.

Zone 2: 10 MW –PART EAST, CENTRAL Part Krootown Rd, Sanders Street, Siaka Stevens Street, Soldier Street, Circular Road, Mountain Cut, Eastern Police, Part Kissy Road, Fourah Bay Road and Cline Town.

Zone 3: 10MW-Part West & Central

Congo Cross. Tengbeh Town, Brookfields, Kingharman Road, New England , Pademba Road, Campbell Street, St. John, Syke Street and Kingtom