The Inquirer
Monrovia, Liberia

Distributed by

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

Posted April 26, 2004

The Liberia Electricity Corporation(LEC), is to shortly resume the supply of electricity to Monrovia. The LEC stopped the production and supply of power on March 19, 2004 due to the lack of fuel and other lubricants needed to run its power plant.

However, after nearly a month of planning, the LEC says it is now in the process of putting in place the requisite mechanism to resume the production of power.

Addressing a news conference in Monrovia recently, LEC Managing Director Mr. Joseph Mayah said, although the corporation is to shortly resume power production, the major problem confronting the entity is the issue of power theft.

He said currently the LEC is in dire need of everything to restore it to pre-war status as there is an acute shortage of resources.

Mr. Mayah said the Government of Liberia(GOL) and the European Union(EU) have been supporting the LEC since the recent Monrovia fighting.

The LEC boss said such support is in the form of fuel purchase and damage assessment and repair by the EU and a little over US$100,000 from the National Transitional Government of Liberia(NTGL).

He denied media report that his administration is engaged in massive corruption at the LEC, noting that he has been working in the interest of the employees and customers

“We have paid our employees and bought fuel to run our power generating machines. We need 62,000 gallons of fuel to run one of the Skoda Machines at our Bushrod Plant monthly”, he said.

Meanwhile the LEC Managing Director has disclosed that a five-man team from the EU are in town to carry on an assessment of the corporation’s facilities in a bid to revamp the entity.