There are a number of benefits from street lighting.It can be used to promote security in human settlements and to increase the quality of life by artificially extending the hours in which there is light, so that activities can take place. Street lighting also improves safety for drivers, motobike riders and pedestrians. It also helps to reduce crime.
It is for these reasons that the visit by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Julius Debrah, to inspect ongoing works at an assembling plant for prefabricated street lights is, indeed, good news. The street lights - when finished - are to be installed in all metropolitan and municipal areas and districts in the country.
The assembly plant, Prefos Ghana Limited, is at present operating with just a handful of staff and manually assembles 100 street lights a day. However, it is expected that when the plant�s automatic assembling machine becomes operational, about 1,000 streets lights would be produced daily. The lights would replace damaged or out-of-date street lights throughout the country.
The company has already produced a number of street lights embossed with features distinguishing each district from the other. Districts that have so far received their share of street lights are South Suntreso, Bantama and Adoaso, all in the Ashanti Region. Other districts in the Northern Region, including Bawku, have also benefitted from the initiative.
The street light assembly plant is located at Adarko-Jachie in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality. It is a wholly Ghanaian-owned company and has experts working day and night to complete an assembling machine that would automatically put the components of the street lights together.
Prefos Ghana Limited also has in stock quantities of armoured cables that are to be laid underground for the installation processes of the streets lights.
It is anticipated that when the company reaches its optimum production capacity, it will train between 30 to 40 artisans from each metropolitan, municipal or district assembly to ensure continuous maintenance of street lights and other electrical needs of the assemblies.
In his address to the media after the inspection tour, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development described the project as beneficial, especially when it had a training component under which youth from various assemblies would be trained to acquire skills to work and fend for themselves.
He said it was the objective of the government to assist local industries with the needed support to enable them to grow. He, therefore, assured the chief executive officer of the company of the government�s assistance.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive for Kumasi, Mr Kojo Bonsu, and the Municipal Chief Executive for Ejisu-Juaben, Mr Kwaku Afrifa Yamoa-Ponko, both of whom were part of the ministerial team that toured the factory, urged management of the company to consider the support the government was extending to the company and not make the price of its products too expensive. They also encouraged management of the company to go by the procurement laws of the country at all times.
The Chief Executive Officer of Prefos, Mr Alexei Kwasi Fosu, said a school to train artisans in electrical work � so they could manage and maintain street lights for the assemblies � would be completed within the next two months.
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