By Austine Luseni, Freetown, Sierra Leone
The Minister of Energy of Sierra Leone, Alhaji Kanja Sesay (middle in photo), has told the people of Bathurst in rural Freetown that President Bio is a man of his words and that Sierra Leone’s rare gem of a President was more than determined to change the dismal narrative in not only the energy sector but in other areas of development .
The minister was speaking at a ceremony marking the official electrification of Bathurst village after almost 204 years.
Receiving the delegation, Village Head of Bathurst Community, Theophilus Johnson, said he couldn’t be more thrilled ,while also describing the occasion as historic and monumentally significant . He said it was a day of utter relief and social salvation for them because since the inception of Bathurst in 1816, the community had never benefited from electricity. He expressed his delight at witnessing the occasion .
The Village Head went further to say that Mr.Kanja Sesay was the first sitting minister to officially visit Bathurst, adding that on the minister’s first visit on June 13 this year, he made a promise to the community which was followed up with the presentation of two brand new transformers with a total capacity of 11000kva on 27th July. He said Bathurst was moving from perpetual darkness to glorious light and praised the New Direction Government for providing what had painstakingly eluded the community for far too long.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay , said he had brought glad tidings from President Bio to the people of Bathurst, adding that the community was at the centre of attention of the New Direction Government. He said he was standing at Bathurst beating his chest with glee and safe in the knowledge that the Government of President Bio had delivered a social masterclass , while also assuring the people of Government’s commitment to increasing access to energy and to providing other amenities .
Mr.Kanja Sesay noted that he was visiting the community as a way of staying true to the promises he made on June 13 and July 27 respectively that the 204-year wait for electricity for Bathurst was going to be history . He said he was there to turn on or to energize the transformer to officially electrify the community. He praised Presidential Adviser, Madam Kona Koroma and other stakeholders for their efforts in making the occasion possible.He urged the community to own the transformers and to avoid illegal electricity theft .
Minister Kanja Sesay (left) and Bathurst village headman Theophilus Johnson
Bathurst erupted into delirium and carnival as residents saw electricity in their homes ,signaling the break of a joyous new day and an end to the long and discomfiting nights of darkness.
Various dignitaries including the Deputy Chairman Western Area Rural District Council, Robert Browne; the Western Rural District Coordinator for Covid 19, Victor S.O.B. Davies and others spoke at the ceremony.
The minister was accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Energy ,Dr.Eldred Taylor; the Deputy Director General for EDSA,Mr Nyama and other officials from the ministry and EDSA.
”This is a huge step in the right direction from the New Direction. We shall surely enjoy what our great grandparents yearned in vain to enjoy. .President Bio can’t just stop smashing records and setting new ones,”* one intelligent looking boy in his mid 20s told me.
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