MONROVIA – The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has officially received 26 new transformers in a bid to enhance the entity’s capacity to ensure the timely and unhindered reconnection of hundreds of households and businesses that have been without public electricity for a prolong period of time under the Presidential Transformer Replacement Project.
The transformers were received at the LEC’s compound on the Bushrod Island upon its arrival in the country on Friday, December 18.
It can be recalled that the Presidential Transformer Replacement Project was recently launched by the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government of President George Manneh Weah to ensure the swift replacement of stolen or damaged transformers in various slums and other communities in Monrovia and other parts adjacent.
It was launched following the staging of series of violent and peaceful protests respectively by citizens of most areas that have been affected as a result of damaged or stolen transformers for nearly up to two years.
The project is jointly being implemented by the LEC, Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy, Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs as well as the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
Speaking during the offloading of the transformers, the Senior Manager for Operations, Maintenance, Transmission and Distribution at the LEC, Thomas Gonkerwon, lauded President Weah for the initiative.
He noted that the LEC has commenced the full implementation of the project in Montserrado County to ensure that citizens and other have access to electricity in a timely manner.
According to him, the Presidential Transformer Replacement Project will immensely help to reduce power theft in the most populous county in Liberia.
“The installation of these new transformers will help reduce power theft in the communities. We are receiving about 26 new transformers today and these transformers will help a lot”.
For his part, the Assistant Minister for Technical Services at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, David Kolleh disclosed that the flagship project of the Liberian presidency will help alleviate some of the constraints citizens are encountering due to the lack of stable electricity at their homes and businesses.
He added that the project will ensure that health centers do not shutdown as a result of power outage.
He pointed out that over the next four to five months; about 240 brand new transformers will be installed or replaced at communities that have been without electricity for quite long.
“This is a flagship project that will ensure that our people do not suffer and our health centers do not shut down due to the lack of electricity. Where there are damaged transformers, this project will have them replaced”.
Also speaking, the Senior Policy Advisor in the office of the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel McGill disclosed that more transformers will continue to arrive in the country to support the actualization of the project.
Abdul Koroma is also the Coordinator of the Presidential Transformer Replacement Project.
He added that the newly arrived transformers will be installed in a prompt manner to guarantee citizens’ celebration of the festive season at their homes and businesses under electricity.
“We will continue to receive transformers. In fact, early next year, we will witness the arrival of another consignment of brand new transformers into the country. This is the first of series of transformers arrival into the country. It will come in different batches”.
Koroma pointed out that hired contractors will guarantee the installation of the new transformers.
He, however, encouraged the would=be beneficiaries to guarantee the safety of the new transformers that would be installed in their various communities by ensuring that more line are not connected to the transformers to avoid power theft and others.
He, however, expressed the hope that the project will hit its finalization with the connection or reconnection of schools of communities and businesses at the end of February 2021.