Street Light: Southern states restore street lights to check hoodlums – NAN survey
NAN-H-33
Light
By Tajudeen Atitebi
Lagos, Oct. 11, 2017 (NAN) In the bid to check growing insecurity in the country, state governments in the Southern part of Nigeria are restoring street lights to check activities of hoodlums at night.
A survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in some states in the south indicated that there are new efforts by state governments to restore or provide street lights to light dark spots at night.
The Kwara State government recently awarded multi million naira contract for its Light-Up Kwara (LUK), a solar-powered street light project.
Edo State is also planning alternative sources to power street lights as the current sources of lighting the streets are no longer sustainable.
Benin metropolis, Ekpoma, Uromi and Auchi are the major towns in Edo where the state government has provided street lights.
Mr Cruse Osagie, the Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to Edo Governor, told NAN that the current sources of keeping the streets illuminated at nights were no longer sustainable.
Osagie said the government had plans to maximize the use of Azure power plant, Siemens and Osiomon power plants to boost power supply in the state.
The street lights in Calabar metropolis are managed by the state government, but contracted to Lilleker Company for routine maintenance.
The lights are along the Calabar Highway, Marian Road, Mary Slessor Road, MCC Road, Parliamentary and IBB Roads.
A senior staff of Lilleker said that the street lights were powered by heavy duty generating plants.
“The street lights are provided by the state government. We are on contract in maintaining the lights.
Mr Hafiz Inuwa, the Cross River Commissioner of Police, said street lights were significant in the fight against crimes in the state.
Inuwa said that street lights were helping security personnel to locate hide-outs of suspected criminals, especially at night.
“Once the street light is on, it scares away criminals and it makes it easier for people to sight criminals from afar.
“On our part, we like seeing the street lights on because it exposes all illegal human activities.
“ If we can have all the street lights on in Calabar at night, I am very sure that cases of criminality will drastically reduce’’, he said.
Street lights in Asaba, the Delta State capital are along major streets and are powered by public light They are also in areas inhabited by the elite and in business areas.
Mr Bright Nnwanne, a police officer in Asaba, said that the street lights had greatly contributed to the security in the town.
“This is because they expose criminal activities since criminals lurk in the dark to perpetrate dastardly acts in the dark.
In Ibadan, the Oyo State capital many streets now have streetlights although some poles needed to be repaired.
Functional street lights are along major roads in Ibadan like Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Road, Total Garden-Secretariat- Bodija, Parliament-Secretariat and Iwo Road-Monatan-Olodo.
Others are Eleyele-Jericho-Dugbe, Jericho- Onireke, Aleshinloye-Jericho and Mokola- UCH-Agodi Gate (Queen Elizabeth Road) as well as the new dual carriage roads in Iseyin, Oyo and Ogbomoso.
NAN reports that some of the streets lights in Ibadan, Iseyin, Oyo and Ogbomoso are powered by generators, while that of Queen Elizabeth Road is powered by solar system.
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) said it was also powering some streetlights in the metropolis.
Mrs Angela Olanrewaju, the spokesperson for the company, told NAN that the state government was paying the bills for some street lights.
Mr Idowu Adelusi, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, told NAN that the streetlight projects were deliberate efforts to beef up security as well as promote night life.
The Kwara Government has also commenced the second phase of its Light-Up Kwara (LUK).
Idris Garba, the State Commissioner for Energy, said installation of streetlights at Kulende Estate Junction and Muritala Road had already been completed, while that of Surulere-Oja-Oba Road was ongoing.
He listed other routes to be covered under the second phase to include General Hospital Roundabout-Oja-Oba, Offa Garage Unity roundabout, Michael Imodu-Offa Garage- Geri Alimi Road, all in Ilorin metropolis.
Others are on Emir’s Road- Post Office, Balogun Fulani Gambari, Yebumot Roundabout -Adeta Roundabout and Abdulkadir Road.
Garba said the LUK project was being implemented through a PPP arrangement under the state Infrastructure Development Fund.
Dr Dickson Aleroh, the Managing Director of Riccofortezza-Asteven Energy Ltd., one of the two firms executing the LUK project, told NAN that the installation of single arm street light poles across Ilorin metropolis began in June.
Aleroh said that his company would install 341 poles covering 9.7km across 11 routes within Ilorin metropolis.
The Ogun Commissioner for Works, Olamilekan Adegbite, rated the current performance of street lights in the state as high.
Adegbite told NAN that the street lights were either few or non-functional before Sen. Ibikunle Amosun took over the reins of power in the state.
The commissioner said that the situation has, however, improved considerably since Amosun took over power with the construction of “Ogun Standard Roads” which are usually installed with street lights.
Adegbite said that apart from public power supply, the lights were being powered by generating sets with a lot of money spent on diesel.
He said that government was the sole provider of street lights in the state except in cases where individuals powered their houses and the lights reflected on the streets.
The commissioner said that the lights were available in every part of the state including the rural areas.
He explained that the state had embarked on a rural electrification scheme in partnership with the Schroeder, a German firm.
In Akure, a resident, Mr Biola Adeoye, bemoaned the epileptic street lights in major parts of the city such as Oba Adesida Road and Fiwasaye High School Road.
Adeoye told NAN that the street lights functioned effectively during the tenure of former Gov. Olusegun Mimiko.
“But with the recent change of government in the state, the situation has changed. Street lights only work when there is public power supply.
“The lights were powered by generators in the past, but it is now different because this new government, with its ‘cuttting costs slogan, seems to be doing things differently,” he said
Mr Tunji Ariyomo, the Special Adviser to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, told NAN that the government would soon find alternative ways of powering the street lights due to the difficulties with main power supply.
Ariyomo said government had embraced the use of power generating units pending the completion of an on-going Independent Power Project.
He said that the power project would give four to six megawatts which would be able to supply power to street lights among other essential facilities.
In Osogbo, Mr Kazeem Salami, the state Commissioner for Works and Transportation, lamented the high cost of maintaining street lights in the state.
Salami said that government was spending millions of naira to buy diesel and petrol on monthly basis to power the street lights.
The commissioner, however, said the importance of the street lights at night could not be overemphasized as they were helping to minimise criminal activities on the major roads.
Salami said the new street lights were powered by generators, while the old ones were being powered by generators and IBEDC in areas with regular public power supply.
In Lagos, many of the street lights are powered by generators. Street lights now adorn major roads and bridges like the Third Mainland Bridge and Eko Bridge.
Public utilities like hospitals have lights being provided by generators in the Mainland, Lagos Island, the Central Business District, Apapa, Ikeja, Ikorodu Road and Yaba.
Some roads in the suburbs also have street lights. (NAN)
Reporters/ Tajudeen Atitebi