Our experiences with the LEC don't give us much hope that infrastructure and public services are improving.
I wrote about the experience of a fire sparking on the pole just at eye level near our apartment's balcony and, even posted about it on the Liberia Expats Google Group. Received a lot of responses and similar frustrating experiences.
Since then, the pole near our apartment where we live didn't spark again thankfully but it's always a lingering anxiety. What if it sparks again? Will we be at home? Who will douse it?
Since then, I started writing to the LEC Manager, Ernest Hughes, who at first was quite apologetic and sympathetic with the poor service i.e. lack of response to our calls. His explanation for weaknesses at the LEC were: "Most of the expansion of LEC has happened through donors, hence LEC has not grown logistically to handle the increased demand. " (E-mail 24 November)
To this, I wrote a long response back providing examples of difficult it is to get assistance from Customer Service, there isn't any clearly published information and contacts, the bribes the ground crew almost always demand bribes, etc.
I kept writing to the LEC management, including Ernest Hughes, to ask for help with issues at both our locations: apartment and office. For example, for weeks, the office LEC's voltage was too low:
And, at the house, the voltage was slightly better although the 3rd phase (on which we have our security lights and 1 AC) was almost off:
1) Phase 1: 170/180 volts
2) Phase 2: 170/180 volts
We kept writing seeking assistance (since 24 November) and then on 11 December a crew came over only to say they didn't have the ladder to go up on the pole. When I wrote back on the same e-mail thread and said, I was 'astonished!' to which the LEC Manager responded angrily:
"Farzana, This is going too far with your disrespect for my organization. Your emails are coming across as very rude and unsavory. I will not tolerate your constant jabs at our processes, unless you do so professionally.
We doing the best that we can and will continue to provide you the right service. However, if you feel that our service is not good enough, as a customer you have every right to pursue other options. LEC is less than 6 years old; it takes time to improve an organization.
I will no longer tolerate the tone of these messages to me and my staff.
Regards"
I was shocked at this response which told me I had no right to get frustrated and moreover, I could go find another company. I had to apologise and said I was merely frustrated.
Our meter at the office completely went off on 18 or 17 December. We kept writing and calling Joseph Howes (Asst Managing Director | Transmission&Distribution) until he sent a crew on 27 December. The crew came over with all the equipment and manpower necessary, so it seemed.
Photographs below are from 27 December:
At first the crew said no meter on the pole matched our meter number. Then he said the only 3-phase meter on the pole was off : "It was not powering on." We produced LEC receipts and, then he realised indeed our meter was up there. But he still confirmed that it was not coming on and, we needed to call his boss. After he left, one of my staff said, when he was on the pole, he never said the meter was not coming on. He was not interested in fixing the problem.
Of course, all subsequent calls to Joseph Howe did not yield anything and he stopped taking my calls. I also stopped writing on the e-mail thread to the LEC Management.
I ask our readers, are the experiences described above and elsewhere in our blog a issue of lack of logistical resources or mismanagement?
Farzana Rasheed, CEO, NATC
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