By: Mohamed M. Sesay
At the ECOWAS joint delocalized meeting on the theme “Building the regional energy market for a just energy transition”, staged at the Sierra Leone Foreign Service Academy Conference Hall, Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has on Monday the 20th of March 2023, reaffirmed President Bio’s indefatigable commitment towards transforming and sustaining the energy sector across the country.
In his Keynote address, Sierra Leone’s Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh on behalf of the President, welcomed and thanked the dignitaries of the Community Parliament for staging such discussion which geared towards addressing the dire need of power shortage for their people in the region. He said the ECOWAS Region still remained to be devilled with challenges in terms of renewable energy.
Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh continued that no country would be developed without energy adding that, energy is the economic hub of any nation. He disclosed that when they took over governance in 2018, energy supply was very infinitesimal across the country. He said there were lack of transmission and distribution lines coupled with weak and badly managed utility sector of energy supply. He said President Bio’s government had provided access to solar renewable energy across the country. He reminded that Sierra Leone had been successfully passing the MCC benchmark which made Sierra Leone Compact eligible.
Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh admonished that the New Direction Government had also extended electricity supply to major cities in the country such as Bo, Kenema, Kono among others. He reiterated that no country would be developed without a productive sector and that no production would take place without sustainable energy supply which is exactly what the New Direction Government is doing to address such perennial challenges.
Dr. Jalloh revealed that the Covid-19 and the Russian-Ukraine war had taught the world especially the sub region to have domestic food capability. He therefore, urged the region to make such policy shift from productive energy to that of renewable energy supply. He also called on ECOWAS to build on the regional energy policy. He said the investment capability for renewable energy generation across the region is very small. He therefore, called on ECOWAS to engage other institutions to support the energy sector. Vice President Jalloh also made a clarion call on ECOWAS to have a creative thinking towards the creation of renewable energy. He said the reason for the export of minerals to advanced countries is as a result of the energy cost.
“The only way to bring the energy cost is to create regional corporation. I believe ECOWAS region has good productive stance in terms of natural connectivity and minerals more than other countries. On behalf of the President Bio, I hereby officially declare this joint delocalized meeting opened”, he concluded.
On his part, the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament Hon. Dr. Sidi Mohamed Tunis, expressed gratitude for the unflinching support of the Sierra Leone Government to the ECOWAS Parliament. He said ECOWAS parliament continues to identify need felt of its people. He added that ECOWAS is keen in addressing and integrating the people within the sub-region. He congratulated the people of Nigeria for a successful conduct of Free, fair and credible elections.
The ECOWAS Speaker therefore, urged the winners of the elections to integrate all those who did not win for the general good of Nigeria. In accordance with the ECOWAS Mandate, he registered ECOWAS’s commitment towards a free, fair and credible elections in Sierra Leone elections. He acknowledged that electricity is the hub for economic viability in terms of productivities. He noted that 50% of the people within the ECOWAS region out of the over 400 million people within the region are without energy supply. He therefore, called for a concerted effort in addressing the energy challenge. He expressed optimism that the ECOWAS delocalized meeting would lay the foundation to address the issue of power shortage across the region.
The Minister of Finance Sheku Fantamadi Bangura, expressed elation for honouring him an invitation to take part in the discussion. He confessed that the topic chosen for the event was very timely which geared towards addressing the physical burden of energy supply within the sub region. He added that before they took over governance, the country was only able to provide energy to 15% Sierra Leoneans. He allays the fears that with the leadership of president Bio, they have provided over 35 % energy supply to citizens across the country.
The Minister of Finance said the regional corporation had been demonstrated through the energy supply from Ivory Coast. He added that they have signed legal agreements for energy power among Sierra Leone, Liberia and Chad. He said he was aware of the ECOWAS directive which geared towards trade improvement and financial viability across the region. He concluded by reiterating that Sierra Leone is benefiting from the regional energy supply and anticipated for more discussion around power supply as power matters to Sierra Leone and the sub region at large.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation Professor David Francis, welcomed the dignitaries to what he described as the most beautiful Foreign Service Academy in Africa. He said the event is geared towards consolidating the ECOWAS mantra of catering for the welfare of its people across the sub-region through the advocacy for sustainable energy supply. He encouraged the Foreign Dignitaries to make use of the unique facilities of the Foreign Service Academy. Professor Francis said the theme is timely which geared towards improving the energy sector across the region. He therefore on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wished them a successful delocalized meeting.
