From Kwaku Osei Bonsu, GNA Special Correspondent, Monrovia, Liberia

Monrovia, July 26, GNA - Liberia on Wednesday marked its 159th Independence anniversary with the inauguration of a 7.8 million dollars Emergency Power Programme to light up the capital city, Monrovia that has been without electricity for the past 16 years.

The Volta River Authority (VRA) of Ghana undertook the project, which involved the erection of 1,200 electricity poles; installation of generators and distribution lines in the Congo Town and Kru Town. President John Agyekum Kufuor and the Liberian President, Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, jointly turned on the lights at a ceremony held at the John F. Kennedy Medical Facility.

Hydro-electrical supplies to Liberia were completely knocked out during the ruinous civil war that destroyed most of the country's infrastructure broke out in 1990.

The European Commission and the United States provided the funding. President Kufuor asked the people to let the period of gloom and darkness engendered by political turmoil to come to an end with the restoration of electricity.

He noted that the restoration of the energy was critical to any development agenda and economic growth.

"Without energy, commerce and industry and delivery of various social services, including even maintenance of law and order, stand seriously compromised."

He said it was for this reason that Ghana readily accepted to send engineers and materials to the country to help with the restoration of infrastructure, energy generation and distribution.

President Kufuor said it was his hope that Liberia would soon become fully capable to reposition herself in the energy sector of the West African Sub-Region and collaborate with member States of ECOWAS to pursue the West Africa Power Pool Initiative.

The Liberian President said the project symbolized the first step of the country's journey from darkness to illumination. It also marked an important service to the people. For a start it would be used to service institutional customers like hospitals, schools, Police stations, social and community facilities and streetlights along the main route of the Grid.

The reconnection of power to the Capital is a fulfilment of a pledge Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf made during her inauguration in January 2006.