|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Claim: “Liberia exported electricity for the first time to Cote d’Ivoire,” said Finance Minister Samuel Tweah.
Verdict: True. State-owned Liberia Electricity Corporation confirmed the information with supporting documents.
Full Text
Liberia’s finance minister, Samuel Tweah, has disclosed that Liberia, for the first time, exported electricity to its Mano River basin neighbour, the Ivory Coast.
The finance minister said the power export to the Ivory Coast from Liberia stemmed from the heavy downpour of rain in the country, which has increased the efficiency of the hydropower, making it viable to supply power to another country.
His assertion comes on the heels of growing misunderstanding and protestations due to the lack of electricity in communities in Monrovia and parts of Liberia.
But in his recent trips on President Weah’s usual campaign in various local districts in Montserrado County, Mr Tweah said, “Liberia exported electricity for the first time to Cote d’Ivoire.”
According to him, the information was made known to him by the Managing Director of the Liberia Electricity Corporation. He made the claim on a live program on the Spoon TV network.
The statement angered many critics, with some questioning the authenticity of the assertion amid a challenging electricity quagmire for many residents and businesses in Liberia. Minister Tweah’s revelation comes on the back of a recent power purchase agreement reached between Liberia and its Ivorian partners. The deal on October 21, 2022, sought to supply Liberia with 27 megawatts of electricity during the dry season.
Given the interest in Tweah’s assertions, DUBAWA has decided to investigate its truthfulness.
Verification
DUBAWA contacted the Minister of Finance by text, asking him to “provide details for us, including the source. When did Liberia begin the initiative? How many Megawatts did Liberia send to Ivory Coast?”
Minister Tweah declined to respond to the inquiries. DUBAWA then contacted the Managing Director of the state-owned electricity corporation, Monie Captan, who provided details that backed Tweah’s claim.
“We exported 4.827m kWh in July 2023 valued at $547,900. The amount will go against our bill with Ivory Coast,” said Monie Captan, Managing Director of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), in a messenger chat with DUBAWA.
In addition, a data sheet obtained from the LEC indicates that Liberia has a ‘Net Cost Import’ of $471,464.26, indicative of the debt reduction that Liberia owed in the CLSG agreement.
Interestingly enough, a study conducted by ‘Tractebell’ an institution responsible for the ‘Line route and impact studies for the 650 km transmission line from Ivory Coast to Liberia, said, “Despite the recovery of Liberia’s electricity sector following two civil wars, only 4.9% of the country is electrified one of the lowest rates in Africa.”
Conclusion
The claim is true, given the details provided by the LEC to substantiate Tweah’s statement.
