By Abdulrahman Orlando (Local Resident)

Residents of Rokupr Community in Kambia District are concerned over the unreliable electricity supply being provided by a private firm Power Leone.

They called out for a quick-fix on the lighting system at Rokupr.

The community people have said  inconsistent power supply is affecting their daily lives and businesses leaving them greatly frustrated. This situation has drawn in key voices in the community like

Councilor Abu Bakarr Gbeteh.

He expressed gravely frustration on the burning issue.

“We are constantly now in darkness.”

Councilor Gbeteh is among the many local residents at Rokupr who are being cut off from the power grid.

Residents like him said “power cuts happen almost every week, and when the electricity does come, the voltage is pretty low and the light doesn’t take too long for one to be able to do a thing with it.”

The Councillor added the electricity comes on a traffic basis on their meters, causing low voltages and power risks at the Rokupr Community.

Another community member Abdulai Bah, who is a local shop owner, also could not suppress his anger about the power blackout in the community.

“We pay for electricity but what we get in return is a lip-service; the system is unreliable and inconsistent. It’s affecting our businesses a lot,” he said.

The shop business owner talks of how that seriously affects children’s education in that part of the country.

“It is affecting our businesses and our children’s education.”

Without electricity supply, it means school children at home couldn’t sit up at night hours to study.

He emphasized the economic impact of irregular power supply which is affecting traders such as those selling cold drinks and frozen chicken using electricity.

“We rely on electricity to run our little businesses, but with the manner in which light comes now, we really can’t just operate our businesses properly as we used to do.”

“It’s affecting our livelihoods, and so we need immediate action for the situation to be addressed by Power Leone,” he said.

Many residents are now calling on the government and Power Leone to quickly fix up the problem of repeated power cuts at Rokupr.

They are worried that if the poor energy service continues, it will surely devastate the community’s economy activities.

It will further affect children’s learning and the social life of the residents who pay up for energy services they could not enjoy.