PHOTO: Mr. Moni R. Captan, acting CEO of LEC
By Kay S. Mantor,
Because power theft is the greatest challenge facing the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), authorities are stepping up the fight against the act, which is causing the parastatal to lose about US446M every month, the head of the LEC Board and acting Chief Executive Officer, Moni R. Captan has said.
This practice is seriously hampering the sustainability of the LEC and its ability to expand across the country, thus continuously posing serious problem for the corporation in providing adequate services the Liberian populace.
Mr. Captan told a news conference in Monrovia recently, that power theft is a major driver of commercial loses at the LEC. This alarming loss, he said, amounts to forty six million United States Dollars monthly and poses a serious problem in having the entity provide adequate services to its numerous customers. The stealing of current within the communities, MR. Monie R. Captan told news men, is also seriously hampering the sustainability of the corporation and its ability to expand current grid networks across the country.
The LEC acting CEO has vowed to go after individuals involved with power theft in Liberia, and is also encouraging community Leaders to “support the work of the Power Theft and Community Engagement Teams who will be visiting your communities. Without community engagement, we are definitely out for failure. To work with communities is our goal and to be successful,” the LEC boss explained.
He then went on to name the team for the LEC power theft as Madam Mary Broh, Co-Chair of the Anti-Theft Campaign, the European Union, World Bank, LERC, LNBA, Ministry of Defense, LNP and over seventy-five community leaders from across Monrovia.
He said power is expensive, and is not free, and that he will not hesitate to go after those involved with stealing current from the people. Captan said it is unfortunate for Liberians to get involved with power theft, saying this should not happen in this dispensation.
The LEC acting CEO is warning those claiming to be LEC employees to desist from conniving with some community members to cheat the national power company. “The moment you start to shift we will shift with you,” he added while encouraging community dwellers to report issues of power theft in their various communities.”
MR Captan said Liberia recently signed a power purchase agreement for 27 additional megawatts with CI Energies of La Cote d’Ivoire. He also informed customers and community Leaders that December 1, 2022, is when the current from the Ivory Coast will come to Liberia. The institution is working out modalities in making sure that Electricity is available to the majority of the Liberia Citizens, he told reporters recently during the weekly MICAT press briefing in Monrovia.