By Isaac Olamikan
Residents of Jattu, Auchi, and neighboring towns have applauded Governor Godwin Obaseki for the Light-Up Edo Project (Phase I) as the towns are now wearing a new look following the installation of 283 solar street lights at strategic locations on the major roads linking the towns in the northern part of Edo State.
According to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Electricity, Edo State, Stephen Uyiekpen, “the light-Up Edo project is part of Governor Obaseki’s Making Edo Great Again manifesto to transform the state into the preferred business destination in Nigeria, improve security and raise the standards of living of residents.”
He explained that “the solar street light project covers the ever-busy Auchi-Jattu road and the Jattu-Otaru Polytechnic Road.”
He added: “The Jattu-Otaru Polytechnic Road (about 3.3km) has 105 solar street lights installed starting from the polytechnic gate, while the Auchi-Jattu Township Road (about 4.9km) has a total of 178 solar street lights installed.”
Speaking on the features of the solar lights, Engr. Uyiekpen said that the LED lamps have a minimum life span of over five years (50,000 hours) and 120 Watts capacity. He further revealed that the suppliers of the street lights gave two years warranty for the lights which covers maintenance thereby guaranteeing the efficient performance of the solar street lights.
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Residents of Jattu metropolis, who shared their experiences with this reporter, commended the governor for prioritising their safety, security and for restoring a night economy in the area.
“This is a laudable achievement by Governor Obaseki and with these street lights he has solved a fundamental problem that has long prevented the town and its environs from fully leveraging their geographical and market advantages,” a resident, Mohammed Momoh said.
“We want to sincerely thank Governor Obaseki for bringing good governance to our doorsteps; we are experiencing a boom in sales as the light-up Edo Project has helped to eliminate security threats. We are recording an increase in profits because we now do more business at night”, some traders said.
