The ₦10 billion solar grid for the State House has been denounced by Umar Sani, a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to Naija News, the White House of the United States was cited by the Presidency to support the approved ₦10 billion to power the State House with solar energy. Bayo Onanuga is President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
Former Vice President Namadi Sambo’s spokesperson claimed in a statement on Tuesday that the President would be disconnected from Nigerians’ electricity realities if he decided to use solar power to power the State House.”At a time when the Nigerian government is urging citizens and public institutions to cut costs, the decision by the State House to spend N10 billion on a solar energy project raises serious questions about priorities and leadership,” the 2019 spokesperson for the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization said, criticizing the president for choosing to give himself energy security rather than address the country’s epileptic power supply while Nigerians remain in darkness. He added that the ₦10 billion approved for powering the State House with solar could be used to upgrade the country’s power infrastructure, benefiting all Nigerians.
Yes, electricity costs are high but this is a problem that affects every Nigerian, not just the presidency. The real issue is not the cost of power in Aso Rock, but the chronic failure of the national power system: generation remains stuck at around 4,000MW, and the Transmission Company of Nigeria cannot expand the infrastructure needed to wheel more power across the country.
“Rather than leading systemic reform, the presidency appears to be opting out of securing energy for itself while leaving ministries, agencies, businesses, and citizens to struggle under the weight of erratic supply and exorbitant tariffs. If everyone follows Aso Rock’s example and migrates to solar independently, what then becomes of the Ministry of Power, the national grid, and the billions allocated annually to improve them?
“This N10 billion could have been used to upgrade national transmission lines or fund community-based power projects that would benefit millions, not just one complex. It sends the wrong signal: that governance is about isolating those in power from the very problems they are elected to solve.
“Instead of being a model for sustainable energy, this project may end up being another example of a government building comfort for itself while the rest of the country remains in the dark.”
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