By Kwabena Adu Koranteng , Korantengadu@gmail.com
Accra, Ghana’s capital, should shine bright at night. Instead, too many of its streets are cloaked in darkness. From Ashaley Botwe to Adenta, Oyarifa to Lakeside Estate, broken and absent streetlights leave communities vulnerable to armed robbers, car thieves, and accidents.
This is not simply an infrastructure problem. It is a governance failure. Citizens pay a streetlight levy with every electricity bill, yet they walk home in darkness. Traders are robbed, drivers risk collisions, and families live in fear. The irony is bitter: we are funding a service we do not receive.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister has turned his frustration on Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), calling them lazy and irresponsible. But Ghanaians are tired of excuses and finger-pointing. They want light, not blame games.
What is at stake is bigger than convenience. Darkness fuels crime. Darkness kills investment. Darkness undermines Ghana’s carefully built reputation as a safe tourism destination. Tourists and investors cannot take seriously a city that cannot keep its own streets lit.
The solutions are straightforward: repair broken poles, maintain existing lights, ring-fence the streetlight levy, and hold MMDCEs accountable for their jurisdictions. A transparent system for reporting faults and tracking repairs would restore confidence and improve safety.
This problem persists not because it is unsolvable, but because it has been ignored. If Ghana can organize global events and promote “Destination Ghana,” surely it can keep its capital illuminated.
Accra deserves better. Its people deserve better. Let there be light.
