…Citizens Blast Energy Sector’s ‘Alaki Dogs’
Once hailed for its strides in electricity access, Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, has regressed into abysmal darkness under President Julius Maada Bio’s leadership, rekindling bitter memories of the days when it was infamously branded the “darkest city in the world.” What was once seen as a fading nightmare is now a daily reality—a grim testament to the catastrophic failure of the Bio administration’s energy leadership.
The rapid progress made during the tenure of the All Peoples Congress (APC) under former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has now been undone. Back in 2007, Koroma’s government transformed Freetown’s nocturnal skyline within a remarkable 90 days of assuming power—rescuing a city dimmed by the failures of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) under the late President Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah.
For years, electricity flowed with a level of consistency that inspired cautious optimism. Even the fiercest critics of the APC were reduced to muttering the hollow refrain, “Nor to light we dae eat,” as power supply became a relative non-issue in the political discourse.
But the return of the SLPP under President Bio has dragged the nation back into an era of utter darkness—one not simply characterized by technical challenges, but by a toxic brew of deep-rooted corruption, incompetence, and an infestation of “dogs” at the helm of the energy sector.
Yes—dogs. Not in the literal sense, but the metaphorical breed of men and women gnawing away at public resources with wild abandon. These are the so-called “dog-men” infesting the Ministry of Energy and the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA)—a cabal of corrupt, unaccountable officials who treat national suffering as background noise while enriching themselves from the very veins meant to power the nation.
The term “dog-men” was fittingly inspired by none other than First Lady Fatima Maada Bio herself, who inadvertently lifted the veil on the untamed savagery plaguing her husband’s administration. Like feral canines in a meat shop, these men are not just incompetent—they are deliberately destructive, gnashing away at the fabric of governance without a shred of remorse.
Much like dogs who eat grass not out of illness but out of instinct, these officials loot not out of poverty but pure pleasure. They are well-fed, handsomely salaried, yet remain insatiable in their hunger for corruption. Their loyalty lies not with the suffering populace, but with the spoils of chaos—content to watch a nation rot in darkness while they light up their own private mansions with stolen current.
Electricity, the backbone of 21st-century life, has become a rare luxury in Sierra Leone. Businesses are closing. Homes are lifeless. Children cannot study, hospitals cannot function properly, and food spoils in homes across the capital. In the Holy Month of Ramadan and Lent, even the most devout citizens struggle to preserve food for fasting, praying in shadows cast not by faith, but by governmental failure.
The situation is further exacerbated by the dwindling support from international donors, many of whom have taken a step back due to growing concerns over democratic backsliding and lack of transparency. But even with the revenues generated from exorbitant electricity tariffs paid by weary consumers, the state of power supply remains deplorable. Why? Because the funds are routinely siphoned off, mismanaged, or outright embezzled.
The corruption is not subtle—it is scandalous. Funds vanish like mist in the morning sun, while excuses multiply. Promises to fix the energy crisis come and go, but the darkness remains. And the “dog-men,” shameless and emboldened, continue wagging their tails, barking out empty pledges as if the people are too blind to see their deception.
But let it be said: a nation cannot be powered by the barking of dogs.
Until these parasites are flushed out, until the “dog-pound” that the Energy Ministry and EDSA have become is fumigated, Sierra Leone will remain a nation in blackout—both literal and metaphorical. The electricity crisis is no longer just a technical problem; it is a moral failing, a collapse of governance, a betrayal of the people.
The time for silence is over. The citizens of Sierra Leone must demand accountability. The “dogs” must be muzzled, caged, and removed. If not, the darkness will not only persist—it will become permanent.