Absolute darkness at night: Need ‘Minister responsible for street lights’

Staunch research scientists embarked on a trip into space from where they could thoroughly observe how the entire global hemisphere looked like at night. 

Upon arrival in space, they started from the continent of North America.

Their results was so much visiblility that the minutest metallic element misguidedly dropped in the streets at night could be seen, giving the indication that even at very dark hours of the night, nothing was hidden on this continent.    

Subsequently, the other continents of Asia, Europe, Antarctica and Australia were all focused on in turns with the scientist telescopic camera, revealing better and enhanced illumination at night.

It is significant to note that the minutest object lying in the street was exposed, indicating that the provision of better and enhanced illumination, such as street lights, was important.

Mounted and fixed streetlights worked to perfection across the continents.

Eventually, it was the turn of Africa, the second largest continent within the hemisphere.

Virtually every street, main road, highway, thoroughfare and key access routes within communities were in darkness, with even high-rise buildings difficult to notice.

In Ghana, a country acknowledged to be the centre of the global hemisphere, the story was no different. At night, every highway, main road and almost all access routes to communities are in total darkness.

Dark communities create safe havens for robbery and other social vices.

Furthermore, strolling or driving at night poses grave danger and challenge, as one could be attacked or vehicles involved in  road accidents due to exceedingly poor visibility.

The positive effect of street lights on every economy cannot be overemphasised. Apart from the plethora of advantages derived from what street lighting could offer, it is significant to state that the present government’s strategic policy initiative of a 24-Hour Economy (24-HE) will best function and ultimately be actualised if communities are well-lit at night.

Certainly, investing sufficiently in street lighting would be an irrefutable backbone to the 24-HE. Street lighting could serve as a key ‘driver’ for massive investment inflows, in addition to the provision of security.  

There is, therefore, the need for the appointment and the creation of a Ministry for Street Lights with a substantive Minister, whose key performance would be to ensure visibility through the guaranteed provision of street lights.

Joe Effah-Nkyi, 
CEO, Logistics Control Limited,
Box CE12281, Tema
E-mail: logisticscontrolltd@yahoo.com