Anambra State Government through the Ministry of Power and Water Resources is deploying a total of eleven thousand (11000) units of all-in-one solar streetlight solutions to replace diesel-powered lamps in communities in the phase two of the ongoing conversion of diesel to solar streetlight in the State.
The Commissioner for Power and Water Resources in the state, Engineer Julius Chukwuemeka made this known to our correspondent, when his officials were seen along Nteje-Umueri-Aguleri-Otuocha road installing the solar powered lamps.
The diesel-powered lamps which were installed by the previous administration of Governor Willie Obiano, has been heavily criticized by many as unsustainable, due to heavy cost of diesel used to power them.
TNC investigation also found that the streetlights were handed out as contracts to the governor’s cronies, who siphon the monies of the diesel many times without switching on the lights.
True to the criticisms, Governor Chukwuma Soludo upon assumption of office, had revoked the payments for the running of the diesel-powered streetlights and instead, begun their dismantling and replacement with solar-powered one.
Speaking on the new initiative, the State Power and Water Resources Commissioner, Chukwuemeka said the solar-powered streetlights were in line with the governor’s resolve to ensure clean, green and sustainable Anambra.
According to him, the government is deploying all-in-one solar streetlight solutions to replace diesel-powered one which is very expensive to operate, not environmental friendly and not very effective.
“We have found that operators of the diesel generator turn on and off the generators at will and siphon the monies approved, defeating the purpose of lighting up the roads.
“The solar streetlight technology comes with cost reduction. Recall that the cost of operation of solar streetlight is zero and with this, we shall be saving the state of the billions of naira that could now be channeled to alternative uses for the state,” he said.
Continuing, Engineer Chukwuemeka informed that solar streetlights emit zero greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the environment and conforms to Mr Governor’s initiative of clean, green and sustainable Anambra.
He said; “The solar streetlight turns on once it is dark and goes off once day breaks and as such is considered more effective as it is not affected by “human factors”.
“We are currently rounding up the second phase of the conversion process. We did 6,580 in phase 1 and we are concluding the installation of about 11, 000 lamps in the phase 2.”
According to the Commissioner, the state has successfully installed the all-in-one solar streetlight solutions in about seventy percent (70%) of communities where diesel-powered streetlights were in existence.
