LAUDABLE INITIATIVE (DEC 30, 2010)

THE provision of street lights goes a long way to boost socio-economic activity because it enhances road safety for both motorists and pedestrians. It also hinders the anti-social activities of such persons as robbers and other societal saboteurs.
It is in the light of this that the DAILY GRAPHIC applauds the government’s efforts at lighting up all regional capitals and some metropolises in the country. So far, work on street lights in seven regional capitals and one metropolis has been completed.
They are Koforidua, Tamale, Sekondi/Takoradi, Cape Coast, Ho, Sunyani, Wa and Tema, while work on those in Bolgatanga, Accra and Kumasi is currently 85 per cent complete. The project, which covers 900 kilometres, is an initiative of the Ministry of Energy and was started last year.
The cost of the installation of the street lights in the eight regions is pegged at $50,556,724, while that of Accra and Kumasi will cost €26,807.
A similar project, dubbed the District Capitals Street Lighting, is expected to take off in January 2011, during which a total distance of 4,300 kilometres is expected to be provided with street lights.
At a press conference in Accra to announce this laudable initiative by the government, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, stated that work on the installation of lights in Koforidua, Tamale, Sekondi, Cape Coast, Ho, Takoradi, Sunyani, Wa and Tema Phase One and Two had also been completed.
Street lights on all ceremonial roads in the national capital are also expected to be functioning by the end of the year.
So far, work on the Achimota Road, Castle Drive, Fourth Circular Road, Independence Avenue, Liberia Road, Kanda Highway and Nima Highway has been completed, while work is ongoing on the Kaneshie-Mallam road and the Graphic Road.
The provision of street lights started long ago in this country, dating back to the Acheampong regime, with subsequent regimes seeking to improve on the situation. The exercise has suffered many setbacks, with the activities of saboteurs and unscrupulous drivers being on top of the list of the setbacks.
Nowadays, it has also been the craze of some unpatriotic persons to vandalise the aluminium poles and especially the cables, treating them as scraps which they sell for a pittance.
These remain major challenges which have to be tackled by all and sundry, especially the police and the courts, so that culprits will be severely dealt with to serve as a deterrent to preserve our national assets. Associated with the bad lighting system is the removal of slabs covering culverts along main roads or streets causing many accidents and serious damage to vehicles and injuries to persons.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is, therefore, happy that Alhaji Fuseini announced that as part of measures to resolve the challenges affecting the installation and maintenance of street lights, a Street Lighting Policy had been drafted and was currently being reviewed by stakeholders.
It is our hope that this draft policy would bring on board some of the concerns being raised in order to preserve our very important national assets for effective national development.
But, above all, our maintenance culture has to be activated in order not to render these street lights useless as they had been virtual white elephants in the past.