Sierra Leone's Minister of Energy, Kanja Sesay, has tendered his resignation amidst the country's persistent electricity crisis. Sesay, acknowledging his accountability for the crisis, formally stepped down in a resignation letter on Friday. The government swiftly responded by placing the energy ministry directly under the supervision of President Julius Maada Bio, with assistance from two appointed officials.
Sesay's resignation coincided with the government's payment of $18.5 million to two major power providers, Turkish Karpowership and Transco-CLSG group, who were owed a total of $40 million by Sierra Leone. The disbursement facilitated the restoration of power in Freetown after enduring two months of debilitating outages. Cities including Bo, Kenema, and Koidu had also grappled with extended periods of electricity shortages.
Karpowership, which had drastically reduced its supply capacity due to payment issues, confirmed the receipt of payment and affirmed the return of electricity to full capacity in Freetown. The company had previously faced similar challenges in September and had temporarily curtailed supplies to Guinea-Bissau in October due to non-payment issues.
Nigerians have been quick to contrast Sesay's resignation with the situation in their own country, particularly highlighting the tenure of Nigeria's Minister of Power, who has faced criticism for the country's ongoing power crisis. Many Nigerians expressed disbelief that a politician would voluntarily resign over such an issue, citing a perceived lack of accountability among Nigerian officials. T
