By Fatmata Bundu
Residents of Wandor, Baama Conta, and Gurama Mende & Senehun chiefdoms in Sierra Leone have raised serious concerns over the poor service delivery by one of the country’s largest GSM companies, Orange. Frustrated by unreliable network coverage, they are calling on the authorities to intervene and address what they describe as “unfair treatment” by the company.
One of the affected subscribers, Sullay Sannie, expressed disappointment over the company’s failure to address the issue, despite reports being made when the company’s generator stopped functioning. He explained that since then, no improvements have been made, yet users continue to experience rapid depletion of their recharge credits and mobile data without adequate service.
“The recharge cards are not only expensive but also difficult to obtain, and even when we manage to buy them, making a simple call is a challenge,” Sannie lamented. He noted that the situation has worsened in recent months, leaving residents feeling neglected by a company that claims to be the leading communication network in the country.
The residents accuse Orange of deliberately ignoring their plight, describing it as social injustice in light of the ongoing economic hardship in Sierra Leone, particularly in remote and impoverished communities like theirs. They argue that, despite being major hubs for diamond mining, which attracts people from across the country, communities like Baama and Conta Wandor chiefdom have been left without basic communication services for over three months.
“Orange has removed all the benefits and promotions they used to offer, and we are left with a terrible network. It’s shameful for a company of its size,” said another disgruntled resident.
Efforts to report the issue to Orange’s office in Kenema have yielded no results, and subscribers are growing increasingly frustrated. Bassam, a Lebanese national living in the area, described the situation as a “scam,” saying that Orange’s services have been virtually non-existent for nearly a year.
“The SIM cards and top-up vouchers are meaningless here. For months, we’ve had no real service, and this is affecting our lives,” Bassam said.
In a tragic incident, a pregnant woman from Senehun recently died after failing to get timely medical assistance due to the network outage. Her family was unable to reach Kenema Government Hospital for help when she needed an ambulance, further highlighting the severity of the situation.
The residents are now pleading with the government to intervene and help save lives. There are rising fears that the frustration may escalate into violence, as youth in the community are growing impatient.
Mohamed Munu, who is in charge of Orange’s operations in the chiefdom, has yet to provide any response to the concerns raised by the residents.
