By Haddy Touray
Residents of Banjul have staged a candlelight protest over persistent electricity outages, as growing public frustration mounts over the country’s worsening power supply situation.
The protesters, led by National Assembly Member Modou Lamin B. Bah, marched towards State House on Monday night, carrying candles and chanting, “NAWEC, bring back our electricity.” NAWEC is state-owned National Water And Electricity Co.Ltd.
The demonstrators called on the government to take urgent measures to restore a stable and reliable electricity supply, saying prolonged outages are disrupting households, businesses and essential services.
The protests come amid widespread power interruptions reported in Banjul, the Kanifing Municipality, Brikama and surrounding urban communities.
Residents have also raised concerns about the impact of the outages on hospitals, schools, businesses and other essential services, arguing that reliable electricity is critical to the country’s social and economic development.
The situation has renewed scrutiny of the NAWEC, particularly following findings contained in a Special Audit by the National Audit Office (NAO) covering the period 2022 to 2024.
According to the audit, NAWEC experienced significant weaknesses in procurement and internal controls, including irregularities involving the procurement of heavy fuel oil and other contracts.
The report identified cases of single-source procurement and significant price adjustments granted to suppliers without adequate competitive procedures or oversight.
The audit also highlighted potential conflicts of interest involving NAWEC personnel and private companies awarded contracts by the utility.
It cited vehicle rental contracts involving companies allegedly owned by NAWEC employees or their relatives, raising concerns over transparency and compliance with procurement procedures.
The NAO further reported more than 135 million Dalasi in expenditure linked to what it described as unjustified emergency procurements, improper advance payments, unrecovered imprests and unapproved board allowances.
The audit also raised concerns over contractual obligations and payments under previous arrangements, including those involving Karpowership, and weaknesses in monitoring fuel consumption and operational efficiency.
The findings have intensified calls for greater accountability and transparency in the management of the utility company.
Critics of the government have linked the country’s recurring electricity problems to what they describe as weaknesses in governance, financial management and investment in the energy sector.
However, the audit findings themselves document procurement and internal-control weaknesses and do not, by themselves, establish criminal wrongdoing by specific individuals.
Meanwhile, residents participating in the Banjul protest called for both immediate and long-term measures to address the electricity crisis.
“Electricity is life,” protesters said, highlighting its importance to health, education, economic activity, security, livelihoods and general wellbeing.