MONROVIA – Residents of the Airfield Sharks Community on Monday set up roadblocks preventing an LEC pickup from leaving the community.
The action of the community members was due to the LEC’s failure to switch on the transformer in the community for over seven months.
By Edwin G. Genoway, Jr., [email protected]
Members of the community barricaded the LEC vehicle in protest to get the attention of the authorities of the LEC to get involved.
The riot police of the Liberia National Police arrived on the scene to put the situation under control.
FrontPageAfrica gathered that since July 2022, residents of Sharks Community in Airfield Sinkor have been in darkness.
Residents of the community told FrontPageAfrica that the LEC technical team headed by one Patrick Kamara went into the community to work on Sharks’ pole when the community transformer got damaged.
“Our transformer was on and working until Patrick and his boys came work on that pole when we heard the heavy blasting sound, immediately we came around to find but the LEC team refused to talk to us,” another community resident narrated.
The community residents, according to reports, called Kamara to inquire as to what had gone wrong with the transformer, but there was no response from Patrick and his team.
Residents also told FrontPageAfrica that Patrick Kamara insulted them, calling them names and referring to them as “foolish people” who do not know what they want.
An elder in the Community, Zubah Yennego who reportedly made the call on behalf of the community said he was shocked and disappointed with the alleged insult from Patrick.
“He was very rude to us can you imagine that! Why will he even call us foolish people when we are making inquiries about our transformer? It was on and running until they came to work on the line the transformer is attached to. Who do they expect us to ask when they were the ones on the pole?” Mr. Yennego asked.
When contacted via mobile Kamara confirmed to FrontPageAfrica that his team worked on the transformer.
Kamara revealed that he did nothing to the community’s transformer and owes no one any explanation.
“Nothing will come out of it, even if you complain me to Monie Captan it will not help them. Let them carry my complaint to the President,” Kamara told FrontPageAfrica.
Residents of the community have, however, expressed disappointment in the management of the LEC for not mediating between Patrick and the residents.
Another employee at LEC, Frank D.Nouahn from the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) who is reportedly responsible for Sinkor has resolved not to connect the community because according to him the community is in violation of LEC rules and regulations.
Frank said until the few community residents who do not have meters can get their meters, he will not authorize his boys to put the transformer on.
“This will serve as a punishment for this community, they have just gone a few months in darkness, at least they have not reached a year yet,” he stated to the community dwellers.
A little over seven months ago, a new transformer was installed in the community, but the LEC is yet to switch it on because Mr. Nouahn and his boys said they are punishing the Community because most people do not have meters.
The switching on of the transformer is said to be heavily resting on the shoulder Frank Nouahn.
The police station in the community is also suffering the pinch as officers are seeing struggling in the dark with Chinese light taking suspects’ statements.
“It is strenuous for us as police officers and for the station to be in darkness, fighting crimes has become a challenge and we struggle every night because the community is dark,” a police of the Salem police depot expressed.
Tension seems to be rising daily in the community with many residents threatening to find a second option for connecting their homes.
“Christmas has just past making us seven months in darkness, we have a transformer sitting here for more than two months when our neighbors in Wroto Town enjoying electricity, are outcast for LEC or because Patrick he’s not connecting our transformer so management is not able to step in, this is scaring for our country,” another resident lamented.
Due to the long delay in connecting their homes, many of the residents are now contemplating another peaceful protest in the community and at the offices of the LEC downtown Waterside and possibly at the offices of Mr. Monie R. Captan, Chairman, Board of Directors, Liberia Electricity Corporation to seek his attention for possible intervention.
Though the community residents claimed that they are not involved in power theft, it has been observed that out of the 37 households in the community, only 23 homes have meters.
“Ok let’s face the reality how can you deny more than 20 persons who buy current in the community because of 15 to 17 persons, that’s being wicked and unfair to us, why LEC will choose to be wicked to us,” another resident said.
The community, however, rejects the claim made by folks from the LEC that the community is involved in power theft.