By NDUMBE BELL GASTON
Consumers of electricity in Cameroon are complaining of being plagued by the incessant energy cuts, the drop in quality service, their security, access in certain parts of the country, the delays in the completion of hydro electric power projects, and a host of other worries.
According to recent findings since 2018, till date, ENEO management, led by Joel Nana Kontchou, says all the challenges have received a certain check while others have had significant improvements which are not yet known by the public, though he agrees that there are unresolved problems.
In one report on security on the part of the users and the workers which can be summarized as deaths caused by electrocution and other accidents, the leading electricity supplier which is known to be a subsidiary of Actis, says the issue is a constant preoccupation in order to reduce the number of casualties. The report reveals that between January to April of 2019, the number of deaths due to the state of the network and those wounded in various instances, registered two deaths and 10 wounded, which they say is a reduction in percentage terms to 50% and 64% respectively.
Management states that reforms are on-going to bring about significant performances because this result, to them, is a tip of the iceberg, therefore much remains to be done. The General Manager says ENEO must integrate security concerns as a daily culture of their activities: “It is for this reason that reshaping on security approaches is to lead each and everyone to assure each one’s security, that of his team, and that of the users”, he declares.
Reports say for the first time in the four months of this year alone, there is an important number of connections of 27, 4% to about 29 500 as compared to that of the 2018 figures. ENEO officials say work on intensifying networks have resulted in minimizing energy cuts to just over two a day with a minimized duration of just 30 minutes each, unlike in the past.
ENEO agrees that 154 more localities are not yet electrified in various parts of the country, because of lack of access caused by thick vegetation, road infrastructures, need for a long chain of pylons and the lack of enough foreign exchange to pay suppliers abroad. These areas are located in regions like Sanaga, Ocean, East, South-West, North-West, Centre and the Northern regions. For this reason, major hydro-electric plants like those in Songloulou, Ngodi Bakoko and Dibamba including five others are on-going. 131 new workforce including top technicians have been recruited to beef up their expertise just in the last four months of this year, revealed the General Manager.