Mass power cut stirs up Nimba

Nimba County is said to be unease over a mass power disconnection campaign by the Liberia Electricity Corporation and Jungle Energy Power, affecting thousands of residents.

Some aggrieved residents told this writer that the decision by the managements of both institutions to disconnect homes and businesses came as a surprise. The protestors narrated to the New Dawn Nimba Correspondent that while they were sitting at their business areas, they only saw LEC and Jungle Energy Power workers engaging them to pay bills accrued over the past two to three years.

According to them, the bills have accumulated to more than a thousand United States dollars for each resident and business center, respectively. The residents say they are willing to pay their electricity bill arears, but the both managements should give them time, adding that managements have not agreed to their plea, but insist on disconnecting over six hundred homes and businesses in the provincial capital, Sanniquellie.

According to them, alleged failure by the two institutions to send agents in the field to collect money owed over the past three years is responsible for the huge accumulation.
Electricity used by residents of Nimba is being provided by the regional group, West Africa Power Pool from Ghana thru Cote d’Ivoire.

When contacted, Mr. Tomah Seh Floyd, who took over the cross-border electricity program in Nimba, said the action by the LEC is based on liabilities the Government of Liberia owes the Government of the Ivory Coast in the of millions of dollars.

He said the Ivorian authorities have threatened to shut down or cut Liberia off from the pool because of indebtedness. Mr. Floyd names areas to be affected as George W. Harley Hospital in Sanniquellie, offices of the Liberia National Police in Sanniquellie along with the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization sub-offices there, including 60 business centers.

By Franklin Doloquee, Nimba-Editing by Jonathan Browne