WIKE AND ABUJA STREET LIGHTS
At a time where most big cities in Africa and Europe suffer from luminous pollution (there’s too much light), Abuja Nigeria, the so-called giant of Africa, appears unable to take care of common street lights.
After regular work from Mondays to Fridays, Abujans want to go out into the night to unwind. But we cannot because of the jungle kind of darkness that prevails around Wuse, Jabi and most of the city centre. Not only Nigerians. Foreigners as well are afraid to explore night life in Abuja. I once had a foreign friend who told me that Abuja is about the dullest city in Nigeria. ‘ I would wake up at anytime in the night in Lagos and drive around if I want to…but not Abuja’, he told me.
Street light is security and security is street lights. Provision of basic things like street lights in a city as Abuja is a litmus test of the capacity of any public official so saddled with that responsibility. Inability thereof ordinarily signals failure. Because the question is: if the person saddled with that responsibility cannot handle ordinary street lights, how can he provide roads, health care, security, and a guarantee of security? Although some areas like Gwarinpa now enjoy street lights, it should be spread to all nooks and crannies of the FCT.
Bob Etemiku, WADONOR, cultural Voice of Nigeria
