Rehabilitation Of Kumasi Street Lights Take Off

Date published: January 30, 2014
 
From Sebastian R. Freiku, Kumasi
THE REHABILIATION of Street Lights by the Ministry of Energy under Phase One of the Regional Capitals Street Lights project has taken off in Kumasi.

The project covers all principal streets in the metropolis, including roads like the Airport road, through the Airport Roundabout to Anloga Junction, Oduom/Tech Junction to Asokwa Interchange; Coca Cola to Ahmadiyya Road; Golden Tulip-RCC road, Santasi Roundabout to  Sofoline; Suame Roundabout to Kejetia  and the Suame Roundabout-Tafo Cemetery-Pankronu roads among others.

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is supervising the implementation of the project being executed by Prefos Limited, a Building, Road, Civil and Electrical Engineering Contractors which is also into General merchandise, supplies and Import and Export, for the implementation of the street lights projects across the country.

Last Wednesday, the contractor commenced work in earnest on the rehabilitation of street lights at the roads and car park of the Kumasi Airport.

It comes as a fulfillment of promise by the Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr. John Jinapor a fortnight ago that Kumasi streets would soon be well lit after the Ashanti region has been mapped out for the take-off of the project which is expected to reduce nationwide energy consumption from street lights by 6%.

Mr. Richard Modey, Electrical Engineer in charge of Street Lights and leader of ECG's supervisory team, has indicated that the rehabilitation of the street lights in Kumasi would take about month to complete.

He said the project has already taken off in Accra and that it would be extended to Takoradi and all other regional capitals in due course adding that the entire street lights system throughout the country would be improved upon in subsequent phases of the project.

Mr. Kwadwo Abrefa Sarkodie, the Regional Airport Manager, expressed appreciation to the mayor of Kumasi, Hon. Kojo Bonsu who directed that the roads leading to and from the Kumasi Airport be given top priority under the rehabilitation exercise the facility served as the gateway to the city of Kumasi.

Madam Philomena Owusu Ansah, Administrative Manager of Prefos Limited, noted that equipment and materials for the rehabilitation were ready and assured that it would execute the contract to ensure the dual purpose of enhancing security and the beatification of the environment in the night.

Mr. Alexie Kwasi Fosu, the Managing Director of Prefos Ltd said the company had imported a combination of quality materials and parts from best manufacturers from around the globe for assembling at its Assembling Plant at Adako-Jachie which would provide training for the youth to handle and maintain lighting systems at the various District Assemblies.

About 2,500 personnel are expected to be  recruited for training under the project and that about 30, 15 and 10 personnel respectively would be deployed by the company to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to man their lighting systems under the contract, Mr. Fosu has  said.