BY Aliyu Dangida
Jigawa state government has spent whopping sum of N2,716,734,022.24k for the installations of 5,715 number of solar street light across the urban and regional centers of the state.
The commissioner of works and transport, Engr. Aminu Usman stated this at the weekly media engagement forum organized by the Correspondent’s Chapel of the NUJ, Jigawa state chapter held at Manpower Development Institute Dutse.
Engr. Aminu explained that the project was executed from inception of the present administration in 2015 to date, added that initially it was street light they met using diesel on daily basis as such government deemed necessary to reduce purchase of diesel it embarked on installing of solar powered street light.
He stated further that the installation of solar powered street light has saved government a lot of money used in the procurement of diesel and other maintenance, noted that problems of cable vandalisation, change of gloves has become things of the past.
The commissioner pointed out that the street lights has been assisting the benefitting communities towards enhancing security especially at night time, said government is planning to extend the project to other urban and regional centers across the state.
Under the Rural Electrification Board, the sum of N2.6bn was expended from May, 2015 to October, 202, the board was able to complete electrification projects in 32 towns.
According to the commissioner, procurement of transformers, power generators was made and installed at different locations, while constituency projects in 17 towns worth N278m was equally executed.
Hotpen reports that, the government of Governor Muhammed Badaru Abubakar had in the last six constructed over 96 roads with total a distance of over 1,642.43km at the cost of over N175.13billion.