EDSA Plunged the City Into Shame
In the land of fireflies and flickering lanterns, few things bring greater dishonour than a host who welcomes guests into darkness. Yet over the Easter weekend, as proud Old Bo Boys (OBBA) gathered to celebrate legacy and brotherhood, in Bo—the very city that raised President Julius Maada Bio—was left in literal and symbolic darkness.
The reason? Gross incompetence and unchecked negligence by the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), led by Director General Joe Lahai Sormona and his deputy, James Rogers.
There’s no excuse for this. What unfolded wasn’t just a blackout. It was a metaphor. A visible sign of a deeper rot: the failure of leadership, the absence of accountability, and the stench of corruption that now rocks the energy sector.
This isn’t an isolated incident. The First Lady herself was humiliated by a similar power failure in Kenema not long ago—under the watch of the same individuals. The pattern is clear, the faces familiar, and the incompetence staggering.
Recent revelations in Parliament have only confirmed what many have long suspected. Of 170 electricity meters studied, only 30 were generating revenue. That’s a mere 17.6 percent—while the rest were either bypassed or tampered with. And this mirrors the nationwide crisis: EDSA is losing 55 percent of its electricity output. That’s not misfortune. That’s deliberate dysfunction.
While the nation suffers, the EDSA cartel prospers. Instead of fixing systems and strengthening infrastructure, they play politics and profit from the chaos. They defy reform, scare away investors, and leave small vendors in mounting debt. And in the process, they embarrass the very Presidency they should be supporting.
So, who benefits from this dysfunction? Who within the ruling SLPP is shielding this mess? When the Presidency can’t rely on steady power during a major gathering in Bo, one must ask: is this just incompetence—or something more deliberate?
As our elders say: if your chickens keep disappearing and the tracks always lead to the same neighbor’s door, maybe it’s not the hawk.
EDSA has become a leaking basket. No matter how much the Ministry of Finance pours in, it will never hold water—because the bottom is riddled with greedy fingers.
Let the truth be clear: Joe Lahai Sormona and his inner circle are not just failing to power Sierra Leone. They are powering their own ambitions at the expense of the nation’s future.
The lights may be off, but the people are watching. And they will remember.
