By: Aminata Sesay
The Ministry of Energy has come under sharp criticism from Members of Parliament after the Minister, Deputy Ministers, and other senior political officials failed to attend a public oversight conference organized by Parliament’s Committee on Energy.
The conference, which was convened to examine critical challenges facing Sierra Leone’s energy sector and explore possible solutions, was postponed following the absence of the Ministry’s political leadership. Representatives from key institutions within the sector, including the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), the Electricity Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC), and other stakeholders were, however, in attendance.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy, Hon. Momoh Bockarie, described the absence of the Ministry’s political leadership as disappointing, stating that the meeting was intended to facilitate an open and constructive discussion on the country’s energy situation, policy direction, and the performance of agencies operating under the Ministry.
Hon. Bockarie said the Committee had planned to deliberate on pressing issues, including electricity theft, revenue losses, inadequate power generation and supply, service delivery challenges, and policy recommendations that could be submitted to Parliament for legislative consideration.
He further noted that Members of Parliament continue to receive numerous complaints from their constituents regarding persistent power outages, faulty transformers, damaged electricity poles, and other electricity supply challenges. While commending the technical leadership of the energy institutions for consistently responding to parliamentary concerns, he said the absence of the Ministry’s political leadership made it impossible to proceed with discussions requiring policy decisions and government commitments.
The Ministry’s absence drew strong condemnation from lawmakers. Former Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy, Hon. Kekura Vandi, described the situation as “an embarrassment” and “an affront” to Parliament. He recalled that during his tenure, the Ministry always ensured representation at parliamentary engagements through the Minister, Permanent Secretary, or another senior official whenever the Minister was unavailable.
Hon. Vandi urged the current Committee to establish stronger measures to ensure that government officials honour parliamentary invitations, stressing that ministers are ultimately accountable to the people through Parliament.
The Majority Chief Whip, Hon. Dixon Rogers, also expressed disappointment, stating that the conference had been organized to address critical issues affecting Sierra Leone’s electricity sector. Although he acknowledged reports that the Minister had another official engagement, he maintained that a Deputy Minister or another senior political representative should have attended in the Minister’s place.
Hon. Rogers directed the Clerk of Parliament to prepare a formal complaint, through the Speaker of Parliament, to President Julius Maada Bio. Members also proposed that both the Secretary to the President and the Ministry of Energy be officially notified of Parliament’s concerns regarding the Ministry’s failure to honour the invitation.
Concluding the meeting, Hon. Bockarie announced that the oversight conference would be rescheduled after the ECOWAS Summit. He reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to engaging all relevant stakeholders in efforts to strengthen Sierra Leone’s energy sector and improve electricity service delivery across the country.