While many Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country face challenges in lighting their streets at night, the Bogoso Zonal Council in the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality has overcome this issue, achieving about 90% street illumination.
This accomplishment not only enhances safety and security but is also positively impacting local businesses.
The Zonal Councils consist of Assembly Members, Unit Committee Members, Opinion Leaders, and volunteer groups within designated zones. Prestea Huni Valley Municipal Assembly has seven Zonal Councils, with the Bogoso Zonal Council taking a proactive approach to ensure its streets are well-lit at night, reducing the risk of robberies and violence. The Council’s success rate is currently around 90%, according to its Chairman, Evans Aboah.
Evans Aboah said, “We’ve divided responsibilities by forming a committee to ensure the streetlights are properly functioning. If a bulb goes out, we replace it and forward the costs to the Assembly.
As a mining community, we understand the importance of maintaining streetlights to deter crime that flourishes in darkness. Our priority is keeping the lights on and in excellent condition to safeguard the community.”
The impact on business has been significant. It’s around 9 p.m. at the Bogoso main station, where Evans and his sister Maggi sell footwear and fruits. They now feel safe operating at night.
“The streetlights benefit us in two major ways. First, they improve security, allowing us to spot any suspicious behavior and intervene if necessary. Second, they boost our sales since we mainly operate at night. The lights attract customers, and we rely on them to display our products.
When the lights go out, it’s harder to draw in customers, and our sales drop. In such cases, we have to move to better-lit areas, which isn’t ideal,” Evans shared.
The following day, we visited the Prestea Huni Valley Municipal Assembly, where Municipal Works Engineer Kojo Scott discussed their efforts.
“After conducting a needs assessment with the Zonal and Area Councils, we identified areas that became dangerous after 5 or 6 p.m. due to poor lighting.
By collaborating with the Zonal Councils to light these areas, we’ve significantly reduced criminal activities. Encouraged by this success, we’re planning to expand the initiative to all communities within the constituency to further improve safety.”
He also explained the Assembly’s strategy for sustaining the initiative through community collaboration.
“The Assembly has procured a large number of streetlights and accessories to ensure materials are always available. When requests come in, we promptly provide the necessary supplies.
Our team, including electricians and workers, installs and maintains the lights. We also have a comprehensive operation and maintenance plan to keep the streetlights functioning, ensuring most communities remain well-lit and safe,” he explained.
