By Mabinty M. Kamara
In ongoing nationwide raids on customers of the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), MJ Motel and Sahara Hotel in the Nothern Capital Makeni have been invited by the authority over alleged illegal activities in relation to the usage of electricity.
The nationwide on –the- spot check by the authority started on Saturday 26th January this year in the South and Eastern regional Capitals of Bo and Kenema respectively where illegal activities were reportedly discovered.
At the MJ Motel in Makeni, the EDSA officials including the Director General after inspection, alleged that the original seal of the prepaid meter had been replaced with another seal that was not of the authority’s.
“ The seal could only have been removed by someone who wanted to access the meter for some illegal reasons,” said Mohamed I Jalloh, senior Technician at the authority.
The Director General of EDSA also discovered irregularities in the purchase of the top up. “ EDSA is in the business where it buys and sells energy to the customers. But if you use the service without paying for it, it means we won’t have enough money to buy the energy that will be sufficient to serve the customers. Then you start to cry down EDSA,” he said.
He therefore ordered the disconnection of the facility while inviting the Assistant Manager of the hotel Ishmael Kalokoh to the authority’s office in Makeni for further investigations.
Speaking to Politico, Manager Kalokoh said he has no hands in the change of seal on the meter, saying that whenever they have issues with the meter, they report to the office and that it is the staff that usually work on it.
He added that their energy consumption rate depends on their occupancy rates.
The DG encouraged him to show who among his staff changed the seal without replacing it with EDSA’s.
A similar incident was discovered at Sahara hotel where was found a tariff I meter intended for domestic use instead of Tariff 4 which is meant for hotels, and also an interference with the meter.
The EDSA boss also ordered the disconnection of the facility while inviting the Hotel Manager Mohamed Sankoh to their office for further investigations.
The authority with the support of the Sierra Leone Police also arrested five men alleged to be illegal vendors selling EDSA top up around the Makeni Clocktower. The vendors claimed to be agents of Afrimoney who happens to be a vendor for the authority.
Similar raids were conducted on other facilities such as the Mena Hills hotel, Buya hotel, Supermarkets, minimarts and cold rooms across Makeni and was extended to the River side hotel in Magburaka and on shops.
Electricity theft and vandalism have been a major problem for the efficient service delivery by the authority, according to its officials.
In most cases, fingers have been pointed at the authority’s staff when it comes to theft.
However, Joe-Lahai Sormana has in previous interviews with Politico vowed to terminate the services of any staff found culpable of such offences.
The raid continues in other parts of the country.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (05/02/24)
