LEC connects Gd. Gedeh

Liberia Electricity Corporation or LEC Managing Director Mr. FodaySackor says the corporation is planting larger electricity poles to put Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County online by Monday, 17 April, trashing a contractor’s work as not being proper.

Through the West African Power Pool, Mr. Sackor says “we” have a company called Energy Venture that did most of the work in Grand Gedeh, indicating that “to be honest” a lot of the work that was done “was not done properly.”

“A lot of the infrastructures are damaged and these poles are actually …, you either use 13 meter poles or you use steel poles. But when you’re doing this kind of stretch, it’s advisable that you use steel poles, especially we are in a curve”, says Mr. Sackor.

He says LEC is planting 13 – meter poles to replace the nine – meter poles that were planted by the contractor on grounds that the planting of the earlier poles did not meet the specifications.

The LEC chief was seen physically working on power pole in the forest, pulling power lines while his team gave support from below the pole. He argued during an interview with journalists that there are many fingers to be pointed at the poor work done by the contractor, but his administration at LEC is concentrating its efforts on correcting the wrong, while focusing its energy on the success story.

He told the interview Monday, 17 April in the forest between Doegeeand Zwedru that majority of the street lights were already up in Zwedru, but the most important thing that remains is getting electricity there.

As soon as LEC gets the electricity in Zwedru, Mr. Sackor says the distribution will be targeting hospitals, schools, churches, mosques, government administrative buildings and then the businesses.

“Well, I mean, it’s a huge success for us because you know few months or years ago this was something that, it was a dream fartetched. But this is something we’re talking about now”, he says.

He says the LEC’s target is to take electricity from Toe Town in Grand Gedeh to the county capital Zwedru by Monday night, 17 April. “So we were able to get electricity into Toe’s Town last night -hundred percent … we cleared the lines, we did lot of rehabilitation there so the whole city came on last night,” Mr. Sackor says.

Based on public pronouncement at Zwedru Administrative Building, President Ellen Johnson – Sirleaf was expected to switch on power in the city before her departure, but Mr. Sackor says it was delayed to correct other issues. The LEC chief says his most immediate concern is to get electricity into Zwedru safely so that the people can enjoy a reliable power. Mr. Sackor says he and his team are carrying 13 – meter poles on their shoulders on distances on grounds that a lot of the flat-bags and vehicles are damaging.

By Winston W. Parley-Edited by Othello B. Garblah