LEC battles power thief

Authorities of the Liberia Electricity Corporation or LEC are stressing the need to seriously address power thief, warning that it undermines growth. Addressing residents of PHP and Plunkor Communities in Monrovia during an interactive dialogue on Thursday, 22 June on the danger associated with power thief, the Assistant Director for Planning at the Liberia Electricity Corporation, Edwin Fahnbulleh, cautions residents not to incorporate the crime into various communities.

According to him, the question of power thief remains a great concern to the LEC, so management and citizens must all work together to find ways to resolving the situation, saying if nothing were done to eradicate this problem, the country stands to benefit nothing from the power that is being offered to citizens across this country.
Mr. Fahnbulleh notes that the intent of the community awareness campaign is for citizens to join the LEC management to put a halt to power thief, that is gradually affecting the management, and to allow citizens to ask major questions on the operation of the LEC.

he LEC Assistant Director recalls that few days ago, an incident involving power theft took place Metadi Estate community, Sinkor, leading to the death of two persons.
It was at the result of power thief, he says, somebody went into the system and put a line up, passed it underground and water set at that place where the little child mistakenly steps, why crying for rescue his mother also came and followed his foot step that was how they both die”, he explains.

“As the result of this death, we deem it necessary to come to you the community dwellers to caution you on the danger of this power thief, we have a full capacity that can adequately provide electricity to every citizen in Montserrado and other communities.”
He continues that people don’t necessarily have to steal current, saying what you have to do is to go to LEC and apply and there will be people who will come to do a sketch and put you on, but by passing the system creates many effects because the person climbing on the pole may not know the voltage he’s dealing with and such could burn any house.
Meanwhile, Mr. Fahnbulleh narrates that power thief also has the ability to put Liberia backward, adding that whenever this happens, we cannot generate the money we need to expand. Every time you steal power, LEC loses a vital amount that is supposed to be used to buy materials that will connect more people.
The LEC Assistant Director further indicates that everything the corporation uses is expensive because it’s being imported, including Transformers, Light poles, and meters. We’re calling on the public to protect the system, because electricity is vital to everyone.

By Lewis S. Teh-Editing by Jonathan Browne