Is the ten billion Naira Aso Rocks’s solar power an admittance of President Tinubu’s failure?, by K.I El-Kalash
If my memory serves me right, it was during the last electioneering season that the APC presidential candidate, now the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu stood boldly before Nigerians and declared not to be considered for a second term if he fails to fix the epileptic power sector. Specifically, he made the promise at a luncheon with business owners in Lagos sometime in December 2022.
The striking promise he made actually resonated with millions of Nigerians who have endured decades of darkness from the ineptitude of several failed administrations, resulting in the epileptic and unreliable power supply that has bedevilled the country for decades.
Before ascending office, President Bola Tinubu said, and I quote, “By all means necessary, you must have electricity. And you’ll not pay for estimated billing anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep the promise to you, and I come back for 2nd term, don’t vote for me. That’s the truth”.
A couple of days back, however, it was reported that the President gave a nod for the installation of solar systems worth Ten Billion Naira at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. At the surface, the development may be celebrated by some as an attempt at green energy efficiency, but beneath the buzzwords lies a deeper and more troubling fact- an admittance of failure. If the seat of power, being a symbol of federal authority and governance cannot trust the national grid, then what hope is left for the average Nigerian for reliable electricity?
Truth be told, exiting from the very national power grid that Mr President promised to reform is an acknowledgement of what Nigerians already know- that the national power grid is still unreliable and largely incapable of fostering any meaningful national development. The optics of Mr. President’s decision are damning because his message is clear. Instead of holistically addressing the problem as he promised, he has decided to solve that of less than one per cent of Nigerians with taxpayers’ money. He has deliberately ignored the fact that good governance isn’t about creating personal safe zones for a few while the majority that voted you into power suffer in neglect.
It is quite annoying to realize that a government that campaigned on transformational change in the power sector now appears to be retreating into self-preservation. However, Mr President should be reminded by those around him that his recent decision isn’t just about power supply but about leadership, accountability, and the social contract between the government and the masses. The N10 billion solar installation could have electrified several teaching hospitals in the six geo-political zones in the country including several public schools.
Sadly, the money was allotted to address one of the so many unfulfilled promises of Mr. President. Since he once urged Nigerians not to vote for him again should he fail to fix the power sector, I think that his words should be the measure by which his presidency should be judged. With this latest development, one is compelled to ask whether this solar switch is the light at the end of the tunnel or the flashlight of a government that is already lost in the dark.
More so, knowing Mr President as an honest man who doesn’t mince words, I hope Nigerians will not see his posters all over our streets, demanding our votes come 2027.
K. I. El-Kalash write from Kontagora and can be reached at maimartabachief@gmail.com
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