The Management of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), on Monday, February 19, 2018 met with a delegation representing aggrieved residents of Caldwell. The aggrieved residents were protesting due to the lack of electricity in the township of Caldwell.
The residents lamented the insecurity and hardship they are faced with due to the lack of electricity in the area.
They expressed frustration that Caldwell is the main corridor that leads to the Mt. Coffee Hydro Power plant, but a single home has not been connected to LEC’s distribution network.
They appealed to the corporation to connect Caldwell to the network assuring management that residents in Caldwell are capable of paying electricity bills. If connected, they promised to ensure that electricity theft is combated in the area.
LEC CEO John Ashley thanked the delegation for agreeing to dialogue and assured them of the LEC’s commitment to increase access to electricity throughout the country.
He noted that electricity theft continues to drastically affect the corporation’s revenue generation.
“Because of power theft the LEC is heavily dependent on donors, who decide on when and where we can expand our service” CEO Ashley said.
He however said that materials for connection of customers in Caldwell were due in the country within five (5) weeks, and clarified that the commencement of the project was already planned and did not come about as a result of the protest. The implementation of the project, he said, was already in the pipeline subject to the contractor’s timeline.
The World Bank funded Liberia Accelerated Electricity Expansion Project-Additional Financing (LACEEP-AF) is financing the connection of Caldwell and several other communities to the national electricity grid. This project is expected to connect of over 33,000 households and businesses.
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