By: Ben TC Brooks| River Gee County Correspondent
River Gee County – Thursday, May 29, 2025 – Electoral district 2, Representative, Isaac-Boy Choloplay Wou, of River Gee County, has urged the Liberia Electricity Corporation to swiftly intervene in addressing the protracted electricity outage that has deprived over 25,000 homes in Fish-Town and part adjacent of power for more than three months.
According to the District 2 Lawmaker, the people of River Gee particularly, Fish-Town have suffered a lot and it is about time that power is timely restored to residents especially the business people.
The outage, primarily attributed to failures in the electrical infrastructure, commenced in early March 2025.
The prolonged outage has had a devastating effect on local businesses, particularly those in the beverage and entertainment sectors, causing many entrepreneurs to suffer substantial financial setbacks and, in some cases, resulting in job cuts.
Speaking in a press briefing at his Capitol hill office, on May 25, 2025, Rep. Wou voiced his concerns about how the persistent power failure has disrupted operations at the county’s referral hospital, necessitating that many medical procedures be transferred to nearby facilities due to insufficient power supply.
He also underscored the essential role of electricity and pleaded with the Liberia Electricity Corporation to take immediate steps to resolve the ongoing power crisis in River Gee County.
The extended power outage has significantly affected the everyday lives of residents in Fish-Town, compelling them to revert to traditional cooking methods using pots and firewood, which produces excessive heat and smoke indoors.
Furthermore, residents are grappling with electricity-dependent services, such as charging cellphones, which now incurs a fee of LD$50.00. The cost of a bag of cold water stands at LD$10.00, while a 25 kg bag of charcoal is sold for LD$500.00, and firewood prices fluctuate around LD$50.00 depending on the size and quality of the wood.
“Living in this darkness has been incredibly difficult for my family and me,” expressed local resident Justine Quaye.
The entertainment sector has also felt the brunt of the blackout, with business owners reporting severe drops in revenues in-take, leading to layoffs and, in some cases, the closure of their establishments.
“Our circumstances are dire. We’re unable to keep our lights on or serve cold beverages to our customers,” expressed Rita Wilson, the owner of an entertainment venue in Fish-Town.
Amid growing public dissatisfaction, Brown Dennis Jr., the head of the Liberia Electricity Corporation in River Gee County, acknowledged the difficulties residents are encountering due to the extended power outage.
He assured the community that his team is diligently addressing key issues along the highway and promised that stable electricity would be restored to River Gee in the near future.
“We’ve been tackling highway-related problems for almost a month and will soon restore power,” Dennis Jr. stated.
However, many residents remain frustrated with the lack of transparent communication regarding the reasons for the ongoing delays and the timeline for when power will be restored.
While the situation progresses, residents of Fish-Town are adapting to the ongoing difficulties, holding onto their hopes for eventual power restoration.
At night, the area is shrouded in darkness, with the only illumination coming from solar lights installed along the main street of Fish-Town by former President George Weah.
In early 2019, a funding agreement of US$31.8 million was established under the Liberia Energy Efficiency Access Project (LEEAP), which received support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union (EU) in partnership with the Liberian government.
Following the agreement, the government and its partners began installing light poles, leading to the electrification of the area from Pleebo, Maryland, to Fish-Town, River Gee County.
The initiative was executed by the Indian company ALPHA TND LTD, with residents of Fish-Town first experiencing electricity on July 5, 2023.
The power lines constructed between Pleebo in Maryland County and Fish-Town in River Gee now supply electricity to over 34 communities in the southeastern region of Liberia, benefiting private residences and public facilities alike.
LEEAP was a vital initiative under President Weah’s administration, aimed at achieving the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development by providing access to reliable and affordable electricity throughout Liberia.
However, the current situation in River Gee seems to contradict the government’s prior goals, as many residents continue to endure prolonged electricity shortages.
Meanwhile, Fish-Town serves as the capital of the River Gee electoral district 2, represented by Rep. Wou.
Edited: Jesefu Morris Keita| Editor-In-Chief
