Mr Newworld Safugha, the Commissioner for Power and Energy in Delta, says the state government will consolidate its achievements in 2019 by providing more streetlights across major cities of the state..

The commissioner said this on Friday in Asaba during the 2019 budget defence meeting of the Ministry of Power and Energy with the Committee on Energy of the Delta House of Assembly.

“Since most of the streetlights in the Asaba axis are functional; in 2019, we are going to commence work on installing streetlights in other major cities across the state,’’ he said.

Besides, Safugha said that the streetlights in Warri would be converted from generator powered streetlights to transformer powered streetlights.

He stressed that the ministry would continue to play key roles in the state’s development, in line with its mandate, with over 55 per cent budget performance.

He said that the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration was also strengthening the power infrastructure of the state to enhance power supply to the cities and towns.

In efforts to check theft and vandalism of armoured cables in the Bomadi Local Government Area, the commissioner said that the state government was constructing an elevated platform to carry the armoured cables across the Bomadi River.

He added that works on two of the platforms had been completed.

Safugha, however, urged the people of the state to continue to pay their electricity bills so as to facilitate improved power supply.

“Paying our electricity bills regularly will encourage the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to deliver power adequately,’’ he said.

Responding, Assemblyman Johnson Erijo, the Chairman of the Committee, told the commissioner and his team that some of the documents forwarded to the committee were incomplete and stressed that the committee should be given complete documents.

He also advised the ministry not to spend above its budgetary limits. (NAN)