British electricity company, ACTIS Energy, will henceforth be in charge of generating, transforming and distributing hydroelectric power in Cameroon following its signing of two conventions with the government of Cameroon and the American Electricity Supply Corporation, AES on Friday, May 23, 2014.
The conventions, which marked the complete handover of all AES’s shares to ACTIS Energy were signed by the representatives of the two corporations; David Grylls for ACTIS and the Managing Director of AES/SONEL and two representatives of the government, Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Basil Atangana Kouna, and the Minister of Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey.
Troubled by frequent power cuts during AES SONEL’s management of electricity supply to Cameroonian households and the frustrations that came along with the outages, Cameroonians are expecting ACTIS Energy with mixed feelings.
We Need Efficient Power Supply
Cameroonians do not need a change of enterprises managing electricity. What Cameroonians need is efficiency. AES SONEL is largely condemned because it was not able to satisfy Cameroonians. In most towns in the country, there have been strikes because of inefficient electricity supply AES SONEL’s management failure led to people stealing electricity, which subsequently caused fire disasters and deaths of countless citizens. Sometimes you pay for electricity that you have not consumed. For Cameroonians to welcome the new company, it should try to fill all these gaps.
Arrey Michael, Telecommunications Engineer, Buea
Open Up Venues For Competition
For any enterprise to be efficient there is a need for competition. I feel that in Cameroon there is a monopoly in many sectors, energy inclusive and lack of competition has led to poor services. The government should open up the electricity sector for private investors to compete else, there will be no change. All these foreign companies coming in are only coming in to make their profit. They are capitalists and I am sorry to say that even with the coming of this new company, there might really be no real change in favour of the common man.
Atongsang Ngoasong, Accountant, Kumba
ACTIS; Guarantee Better Power Supply
ACTIS should come and make things better. We are tired of power outages all the time. Bills should also be given well ahead of time to permit the customer pay in time.
Lucy Limunga, Oilibya, Buea
We’ve Sold Our National Pride
I feel ashamed each time I hear a new foreign company is coming into Cameroon to provide a public utility service such as electricity. Such a sector is the sovereignty of the state. When you hand it to foreigners, you are selling the national pride. You cannot go to France for example and tell Hollande to give the electricity sector to a foreign company. I think Cameroon is capable of harnessing its own energy. It is time for Cameroon to grew up and took such sectors into its hands and provide quality service to its citizens. We just celebrated 50 years of independence and reunification. At 50, if Cameroon cannot manage such sectors then I do not know when she will be able to do that. These foreign firms mean no good to us. All my electrical appliances at home are bad thanks to their frequent power cuts. I have sometimes stayed for two months without electricity and at the end of the month I still get bills. They say don’t get close to electric cables yet when you do not have light you call for weeks but nobody comes to your aid. All these foreigners come here just to make profits, that is all.
Kevin Tientcheu, Ndokoti, Douala
No Silly Excuses From ACTIS
We need regular power supply. We are in the 21st century and lights should not go out because it is raining. And that has been the case with AES SONEL. Each time it rains heavily, light goes off, whereas one even needs light more when it is raining to watch TV and keep one company. The new company should put in place measures to avoid silly excuses for power outages such as rain.
Elias Kum, Buea
Consumers Aren’t Servants
The management of public utility services should be servants of the people, not the other way round. Customers do not have to go begging for the service, which is what has been happening with AES SONEL. I understand the new company is British, I hope they are going to serve the people better because I know British people are strict. I also wish that they be given full responsibility for management, if not, there will be no real change.
Thomas Ntoko, Civil Engineer, Buea
ACTIS Should Be Consistent
All what we need is consistency of electricity. As a mechanic, I depend on electricity to do my work. Sometimes my work is bogged down due to power outage and this in turn affects my income at the end of the month. Equally, I call on the new company to moderate the kilowatts so that bills don’t come too high.
Ebot Lucas, Mechanic, Buea
Any Difference Between ACTIS And AES?
Will ACTIS have the capacity to fill the gaps that AES has left behind? I think the difference may come only at the level of the management. But what I fear most is that the bills may increase instead if they are not to deliver the goods.
Asa’a Lemawah, Forester, Buea
We Want Real Change
AES SONEL had its own weaknesses, but all the same, it tried its best to satisfy the clients while it was around. I think the coming of the new company is a good. We only hope that things should improve. ACTIS should bring real change.
Otto Owona, Bassa, Douala
