By Hassan Osman Kargbo
The restoration of electricity supply to the Lumley Health Centre has been delayed once again following a fresh incident of vandalism at the Lumley substation. The disruption has raised concerns over the impact of such acts on public health and essential services.
According to the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), the most recent damage occurred on Friday, September 12, and was linked to one Joseph Koroma. The act comes just days after technical teams had completed critical repairs and maintenance on the substation, with only final commissioning and energization remaining to reconnect supply to the health facility and its surrounding community.
When EDSA engineers arrived to complete the restoration process, they discovered that thieves had tampered with the installation, removing vital cable lugs and terminals. The theft rendered the substation inoperable and made the planned reconnection impossible. The matter has since been reported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sierra Leone Police for investigation.
The Lumley Health Centre and the wider community have now been left without electricity supply until replacements for the stolen components are procured and further repairs completed. The blackout is a major setback for the hospital, which relies on stable power to provide critical medical services, including emergency care, maternity support, and the preservation of essential drugs.
In a statement, EDSA strongly condemned the repeated acts of vandalism targeting its distribution assets nationwide. The authority noted that such criminal behaviour not only undermines efforts to provide reliable power but also jeopardizes the health and well-being of citizens who depend on essential services.
“Acts of vandalism against electricity infrastructure are acts against the people themselves,” the statement read. “They hinder access to healthcare, education, security, and overall development. The Authority remains committed to restoring supply but calls on citizens to join in protecting public installations.”
EDSA emphasized the need for public vigilance and urged communities to take a proactive role in safeguarding critical infrastructure. According to the authority, timely reporting of suspicious activity around substations, transformers, and power lines could help prevent further incidents and ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
Residents in the Lumley area expressed frustration at the setback, with some community members lamenting the hardship caused by prolonged outages. Small businesses and households have been forced to rely on costly alternatives such as generators and solar lamps, while the health centre faces the added strain of running emergency services on backup power.
Civil society organizations have also weighed in, calling for stronger community-police collaboration to protect public assets. They argue that vandalism of electricity infrastructure should be treated as a serious offense given its direct link to public safety and national development.
Despite the setback, EDSA reassured the public that its technical team is working to complete the restoration as quickly as possible once new materials are procured.
