The national campaign manager of UNITE, MC Cham Jr., has criticised the government and the National Water and Electricity Company over renewed electricity outages, questioning whether The Gambia is returning to what he described as “NAWEC’s default setting of darkness.”
Greater Banjul and surrounding communities have experienced repeated power cuts in recent days, particularly during the night, prompting growing public concern over the cause of the disruptions.
Attention has also turned to a reported two-month electricity supply arrangement between NAWEC and Senegal’s national electricity company, SENELEC, amid speculation that the agreement may be nearing or have reached its end.
In a statement shared with Kerr Fatou on Friday, Cham said the return of frequent blackouts was affecting households, communities and businesses despite previous government assurances that the country’s electricity challenges were being addressed.
He argued that the impact went far beyond households being left without lighting.
For families, Cham said unreliable electricity was making it more difficult to preserve food. He gave the example of households that could previously purchase fish sufficient for several days but were now forced to buy fresh supplies daily because refrigerators could not be relied upon.
He said this placed additional financial pressure on families already struggling with the rising cost of living.
Small businesses were also suffering, Cham said, with shopkeepers facing the possibility of losing perishable goods while workers lose productive hours and businesses lose customers and revenue.
“Foundation stones cannot light our homes. Speeches cannot preserve our food. Promises cannot keep our businesses running,” Cham said, apparently referring to President Adama Barrow’s ongoing programme of project launches across the country.
Cham also criticised what he described as inadequate communication from both NAWEC and the government.
He said the public deserved clear information on why the outages were occurring, how long they were expected to continue and what measures were being taken to restore a stable electricity supply.
The UNITE official also questioned the status of the reported 60-day electricity supply agreement between NAWEC and SENELEC.
If the agreement has expired, Cham said the government should explain why alternative arrangements were not put in place before its conclusion. If it remains operational, he added, authorities should explain why consumers are nevertheless experiencing widespread outages.
Cham accused the government of relying on short-term interventions and last-minute solutions instead of developing a sustainable strategy for the country’s electricity needs.
“We are not asking for a luxury. We are asking for a basic service that people pay for and depend on every day,” he said.
He called on NAWEC and the government to provide what he described as a truthful account of the current power situation, take immediate steps to address the disruptions and set out a credible long-term plan for reliable electricity generation and supply.
Cham said Gambians had become frustrated with recurring power shortages, uncertainty and what he described as poor communication from responsible institutions.
He called for stronger leadership, greater accountability and a dependable electricity system capable of supporting households, businesses and economic activity across the country.
