Francis Tim Mbom
20 November 2008
The General Manager of AES SONEL, Brian Rich, has announced an emergency investment package worth FCFA 1.4 billion for the Southwest and parts of Littoral Provinces.
Rich said the investment is aimed at redressing some acute electricity supply problems in areas like Njombe, Kumba, Mamfe and others.
"In the months ahead, we are going to roll out an emergency plan to strengthen the electric network and promote new electrification projects in towns and villages of the Province," he said, adding that "AES SONEL has already allocated FCFA 1,400 million to this program."
The General Manager was speaking on Thursday, November 6, at the Southwest Regional Office in Limbe during the installation of their new Regional Delegate for the Southwest and Littoral External Region, Lucas Fotso.
Rich began by applauding the fact that this said region was the third richest in terms of its turn-over and the array of industrial customers that are found in this area.But he was uncomfortable with the fact that this region has been facing a series of challenges which have rather been stalling efforts aimed at rendering full satisfaction to their customers.
He said an area like Mamfe has been suffering from "frequent and long power outages" owing, largely, to the poor state of the road, which usually hinders AES SONEL from swinging faster to action whenever need arises.
He added that voltage drops have led to poor quality of services, while some of the electricity headaches have been arising as a result of the "state of (AES SONEL's) installations."
He, nevertheless, blamed some of the troubles they face to hazardous acts.As to the emergency plan, he said a new 90 KV line has to be constructed from Bekoko to Njombe including a transformer substation at Njombe; this in the Littoral External area.
Another new line is equally to be constructed linking Njombe to Kumba while a 30-KV line would be connected from the Kumba-Ekondo Titi Thermal plant line to the network.Rich said when all has been done, it would go a long way to boost power supply to PAMOL and SOCAPALM oil mills.
He added that it was because of the above energy situation that he has assigned the new Delegate for the Region, Fotso, with the task of ensuring the improvement of the network here.
The AES SONEL General Manager especially deplored the growing habit, especially in towns like Mutengene, Mile 16, Tiko and other parts of the Province where people are, without recourse to safety, mounting TV antennas so close to high tension lines.
He said this practice was, regrettably, the cause of so many fatalities owing to electrocutions they have recorded of late.He called on the population to desist from this rather dare-devil drive which he termed a "scourge."
"This is the time the SDO of Fako to invite the authorities of the Province to work hand in hand with us in sensitizing people about this scourge, which endangers the inhabitants," he said.
Meantime, he disclosed that Buea and Limbe now have a new bills payment system where customers can conveniently effect payment regardless of whether they are resident in Buea or Limbe.
About the cry for AES SONEL to spread out its payment booths to some of the far-flung areas of the town and facilitate payment like in Limbe, Rich said they were taking the request seriously and they would see what to do soon.
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