Monrovia – Madam Sondia Martha Tubman, a victim of a recent fire incident in the New Matadi Estate, has expressed disappointment in the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) for being delinquent in restoring power to her community.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr 00231886458910[email protected]
Madam Tubman disappointment comes after her four-bedroom house, her elementary school building and a church were destroyed by fire.
New Matadi Estate is one of three communities planning a protest in demand of power transformers. The transformer had been reportedly damaged for over three months, the community members said.
Madam Tubman told FrontPageAfrica that when the power went off, she was constrained to purchase a generator.
“This day I went to put the generator on and as soon I started it, I saw this flame of fire. I shouted for my neighbors to come around but it couldn’t just help and I stood and watched my house and church burned down to ashes,” she explains.
“Why should I even buy a generator when there is electricity, but I bought that generator because our transformers got damaged and the LEC authorities give blind eyes to restore power to our communities; it is frustrating to see what you have labored for be destroyed in less than 15minutes.”
Madam Tubman noted that the restoration of power might not be significant again to her due to the destruction of her home. But she, however, pleads with LEC to restore power in the communities to prevent more people losing their properties.
She said some kind-hearted people including friends and relatives have been helping her out to shelter family.
Businesses in the Sinkor areas including Lakpaze, Sharks Community, are said to be going through tough times in the absence of electric power.
Failure on the part of LEC to restore power in the areas have prompted residents in the Airfield Shark’s, Old and New Matadi, and Lakpaze Communities write the LEC about a plan demonstration if the company refuses to restore power in their (residents) communities.
“We want to inform the management of the LEC of our plan to stage a huge demonstration in demand of restoring power in our communities, for over the past four months our communities have been out of power due to the lack of transformers,” the letter reads.
“We are tired informing the LEC Management to come and restore power but to no avail, the lack of electric power in our communities has hampered lots of economic activities including clinics and schools not functioning mainly at night.”
They threaten to block the main entrance from Vamoma including the Old and New Matadi turning points to claim the attention of the government.
Meanwhile, FrontPageAfrica has gathered from sources that the publicized protest will take place this week.
“If we don’t get any result from our first peaceful protest then we will have no option but to go radical, with our radical action we will hear from them because that’s the language they understand best,” one of the planners noted.
A mass meeting was held on Monday, April 8 and representatives of the three communities were asked to recruit young people and provide placards for the protesters.