Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information, Chernor Bah, has dispelled rumors circulating on social media about a supposed power outage disrupting the Presidential Town Hall Meeting at the Bintumani International Conference Centre.
Minister Bah clarified, “The issue was a minor electrical malfunction that led to the burning of some fuses in the hall, particularly those powering the PA systems and monitoring televisions. It was not a power cut as rumored.”
The incident occurred while President Bio was answering questions from Minister Bah, leading to a brief interruption as the microphones and monitoring televisions went off.
However, the entire building remained lit, contradicting claims of a complete power failure.
The Gleaner Newspaper had earlier reported on social media that a power outage had plunged the venue into darkness, causing significant disruption.
“President Bio was answering questions from the Minister of Information when the entire venue went dark. Although the lights were quickly restored, it took nearly 15 minutes for the PA system to resume operation. The unexpected interruption caused a brief delay in the proceedings, but the town hall meeting resumed as scheduled,” the Newspaper stated.
Despite the hiccup, the meeting resumed shortly after the technical team addressed the malfunction.
It’s noteworthy that Sierra Leone’s capital has been grappling with power shortages due to heavy rainfall. The Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) has identified 21 areas in the capital affected by these outages.