The Deputy Minister of Energy I, Edmond Nunie, has firmly dismissed claims that electricity was diverted from Makeni to Freetown, describing the assertion as unfounded and misleading. Speaking during a government briefing, Nunie explained that the capital, Freetown, has an estimated electricity demand of about 100 megawatts, while Makeni generates only around 6 megawatts. He emphasized that the significant disparity in power capacity makes it technically implausible for electricity to be redirected from Makeni to meet Freetown’s needs.
“It is illogical to suggest that power could be taken from a town with such limited generation capacity to supply a city with far greater demand,” he stated. The Deputy Minister further reassured the public that the government remains committed to equitable electricity distribution and would not deprive one community in favor of another. He stressed that national energy policies are designed to ensure fairness and stability across all regions.
Addressing recent outages in Makeni and Magburaka, Nunie confirmed that scheduled maintenance work, which had temporarily disrupted electricity supply, has now been completed. He added that power restoration in both towns was expected at the time of the briefing. Residents had earlier expressed concerns over prolonged outages, fueling speculation about possible diversion of electricity to the capital.
However, government officials maintain that the interruptions were purely technical and part of routine maintenance to improve service delivery. The Ministry of Energy has urged the public to rely on verified information and remain patient as efforts continue to strengthen the country’s power infrastructure.
