By: Ibrahim Jalloh - (Jallomy)✍️
True to history, Makeni City suffered close to two decades of non distribution of electricity from any power source. In those years, partly I was in Secondary School, we pride on the use of Chinese lanterns fueled by kerosene. Candles were a luxury and generators a solid indicator of profound status.
The first attempt at the reversal of Makeni city's electricity misfortune was during the late president Kabba's reign. His Vice President, the late Solomon Ekuma Berewa, was heir apparent to the presidency and he was desperately opening corridors of support in Makeni. He brought from Bo a heavy duty thermal plant called Caterpillar that was supplying electricity on rationed basis to less that a third of Makeni city. It was a well appreciated gesture that never translated to votes, regrettably.
In the second term of his presidency, former President Koroma actually concluded a reduced capacity portion of Bumbuna Hydro project that was started in the 70s but suffered leadership neglect and callous inaction by the late Siaka Stevens and his immediate successor, Late JS Momoh, the political tourist.
Since close to 8 years ago, Makeni city has enjoyed stable, reliable and uninterrupted electricity. At a defining moment, Makeni was dubbed the city of electricity and political power. Political power is gone but electricity remains. The city was alive, in glory, pomp and pageantry. The past gifted the picture of a suppressed social and economic life. Interestingly, it works well with the lockdowns as the pull factors to social life were disabled by non supply of electricity.
Electricity has become part of the sociology of the people of Makeni city. It defines the social, economic and cultural life of the people in the city.
Some 8 days ago, The Bumbuna dam was shut down for the annual routine maintenance and consequent electricity disappeared! It has been a harsh reality and one that is difficult to cope with.
What makes matters worse is the disjointed, fragmented and uncoordinated way in which the limited thermal output was being distributed by the EDSA leadership in Makeni. It was not only predatory but hopelessly bias.
Business and most Media houses lost the wisdom to secure and maintain standby generators. So social centres and most radio stations were off the rails.
The truth is that Makeni city without electricity could be a disoriented city.
The unfounded concern that electricity could be withdrawn from the city due to the balance of political power has proven as a broken conspiracy theory.
Business people and professional bodies should, however, understand that technology ,like human beings, can break down. So to think and behave as if Bumbuna Hydro Power will never blink is not only absurd but betrays profound ignorance.
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