Lawyer Basita Michael Criticises Kandeh Yumkella’s Energy Achievements, Demands Accountability

Lawyer Basita Michael has publicly criticised Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella and the Government of Sierra Leone for their recent claims regarding improvements in electricity generation, expressing deep scepticism about the government’s assertions.

In a statement addressing the ongoing electricity crisis, Michael emphasised the significant trust deficit between the citizens and their government. “Pardon our scepticism, we’ve earned it,” she shared, highlighting the frustrations of a population that has endured decades of unreliable power supply and unfulfilled promises.

Michael specifically referred to the government’s announcement that the Electricty Generation Transmission Company (EGTC) and the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) had exceeded a 50-megawatt (MW) electricity generation target for just one day, with minimal contributions from Turkish floating power plant, Karpowership.

She criticised this achievement as insufficient, saying, “This scepticism is not baseless. It is borne out of the deep frustrations of a populace long accustomed to the occasional shouts of ‘light don kam.” Referencing the intermittent power cuts in the capital, Freetown and other parts of the country.

The lawyer pointed out that citizens are wary of celebrating fleeting victories that ultimately lead back to darkness. “They are tired of celebrating transient victories, only to be plunged back into darkness,” she remarked.

Michael called for sustainable outcomes and real accountability in the energy sector, stating that “lasting transformation in the energy sector is long overdue.”

She urged the government to provide tangible and sustained evidence of progress before any celebrations occur. “Until then, please forgive our reluctance to applaud. We have painstakingly earned our scepticism over the past decades,” she concluded, reinforcing the demand for consistent and reliable electricity in Sierra Leone.

Michael’s comment was spurred after some members of the government took to social media to applaud the work of Yumkella in overseeing that enough power was generated to keep Freetown alight amidst recent fallout with the Karpowership. Yumkella and others in the government, including Myk Berewa, shared that the city is safe from blackout as feared when the Turkish floating power plant resolved to reduce their power input to 5MW in Freetown over outstanding arrears by the government.

They affirmed that power from other sources including, the Bumbuna Hydro Dam, CLSG and land-based thermal plants generated over 50-MW in a day, surpassing the essential quantity needed to supply the capital city. Since the claim, power has remained stabled in many parts of the city. However, some locals fear the sustainability of the supply, towing in the direction of Michael.