President Abdoulaye Wade used his New Year message to once again ask Senegalese for patient over the country’s chronic electricity problems.
Wade who would not give details of a new plan in the pipeline, in a live broadcast aired by national radio and television, urged Senegalese to understand and exercise patient in coping with recurring power cuts.
"I'll spare you the details of what we do and ask you again to wait," the president said as part of his traditional message to the nation. He disclosed that an agreement had been reached with a French electricity company that will significantly reduce the current deficit in the country’s energy sector.
Senegalese recently reemerged in the streets in protest of resumption of electricity cuts, which often brings business life to a virtual halt. Like always, there is barely any understandable explanation from the authorities anytime the sector experiences breakdown.
Under pressure, President Abdoulaye Wade, sometime last year, reluctantly did away with his Energy Minister, a close ally of his, replacing him with his son. But despite the largely impressive record of the highly powerful Senior Minister Karim Wade, the problems of the energy sector of Senegal still appears far from being resolved. As always, the president is never short of promises. As part of his New Year message, he said among the goals of the energy sector would be rural electrification.
Amid misgivings about rising cost of fuel and basic foodstuff in the country, the Senegalese leader believes 2010 ended on a high note, citing organization of the World Festival of Negro Arts (FESMAN), among other major activities that were hosted within the year. In fact the government’s attitude towards such occasions have been met with the most aggressive of criticism by his opponents who believe that monies spent on the organization of such occasions could be better spent on the needs of the ordinary people, such as solving the energy problems.

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