BY NELSON EKUJIMI
Following the federal government plan to install solar system to the tune of N10 billion at the seat of power Aso Rock Villa in the 2025 appropriation law, some Nigerians have gone to town insinuating that the government electricity sector reform has failed.
They are already holding a party in celebration that the Minister of Power has failed in his duty and that if the government is resorting to solar system as an alternative mean of powering Aso Rock Villa, then what becomes of the common man who is bearing the costs and inconvenience of public power supply fluctuations.
What a shame that our public discourse has become so pedestrian, infantile and petty. Sadly, we live in a time when intellectualism of subjecting issues to critical and logical reasoning has taken flight, this is a time when persons irrespective of status make statements and you are left to wonder that, do people even think at all and while some might be accused of knowing the truth but engaging in mischief because of politics, again you are forced to ponder that even if it’s mischief, is it not demeaning and embarrassing? If there is a special gift that distinguishes man as a higher animal from other creations of the Almighty, it’s his thinking capacity.
Recall that because of politics and ethnic filled hate, a lot of Nigerians that one assumed were intellectually sound and knowledgeable, resort to assaulting public sensibilities and human intelligence with absurdities and illogicality and this shame of our humanity was exhibited to a ludicrous level during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari when even egg heads from the Ivory Towers joined in propagating that the then President Buhari who returned to office after months of medical absence abroad had indeed died and was replaced by a ‘Jubril’ from Sudan masquerading as Nigeria’s President. That was how absurd and low we sunk in public discourse and unfortunately it continues to get worse regrettably.
The latest story to feed on and assault human intelligence and sensibility is the concerns raised in some quarters over the budgeted N10 billion solar power system for Aso Rock Villa.
For our education, power is generated from fossil fuel, wind, solar, gas, hydro, coal, etc.
Wind and solar are by far the cheapest, safest and environment friendly and that is the way to go as the world battles the effect of global warming in the modern day world.
For crying out loud, if the federal government in it’s wisdom has decided to install solar system as an alternative source of power for the seat of power in order to reduce cost and contribute its quota to the advocacy for cleaner source of energy, isn’t that action in tandem with the public outcry for lean government expenditures and should be commended?
Recently news broke in our public space of an imminent nationwide blackout over a debt of about N4 trillion being owed GENCOs, not to talk of huge outstanding debts being owed DISCOs by both public institutions and private concerns which is the greatest threat to public power supply which suffers from obsolete equipment and liquidity crunch. To generate power is not rocket science, but the availability of needed funds to procure, install and maintain machines and equipment is very expensive all over the world without Nigeria being an exception.
What the federal government move on installation of solar system for Aso Rock Villa has shown to us all, is that public power supply as at today is expensive which explains why the public power sector reform has embraced the band categories as a means to keep afloat in the face of lack of funds for subsidy by the government and because of the need to be prudent and cut down avoidable costs.
The solar system is a necessary and overdue alternative that will reduce the huge financial burden on the public treasury that comes with energy generated from gas which is what public power supply is generated from and for this, the government deserves nothing but commendation.
Also because of the high cost of fossil fuel due to unpredictable global economics and its attendant economic and environmental impacts, the Nigerian government has been a strong advocate and campaigner for the use of CNG to power means of transportation and this much can be seen in the establishment of the body called PiCNG, which has been going round the country preaching the message and even seeing to the establishment of CNG plants and stations.
The Federal government has been very aggressive in its advocacy for transition to CNG powered transportation system through the launch and deployment of CNG buses as a means of transportation in Aso Rock, donation to transport unions, students groups, etc.
For the transition from fossil fuel to CNG, a lot of Nigerians applauded the government and even advocated it take the lead by mobilizing MDA’s to procure CNG powered vehicles and that has been heeded because of it’s low cost, environment friendliness and safety which has been addressed in the midst of the campaign of blackmail and calumny from expected quarters.
If these group of Nigerians who are assaulting our sensibilities with their ignorance and mischief on the planned solar system for Aso Rock Villa care to know, what is the difference between the government enjoining us to transit to CNG from petrol and diesel because of the cost, environment impact and other factors and the latest proposal of installing solar system as an alternative source of energy for Aso Rock? Are we justified to assert according to this school of thought, that the government has failed because it cannot guarantee us free or cheap fossil fuel and is advocating transition to CNG as an alternative and the way to go?
Before the gullible are taken for a ride for political capital, it is important to emphasize that lots of Nigerians and organizations realizing the reality of the time that gas and fossil fuel as a source of power is a drain not only on economic power because of its high cost, but also a contributor to global warming, have embraced solar system as an alternative source of power for homes, offices and business premises before now and are the better for it in all ramifications.
It is an indisputable fact that many government institutions, MDAs and organizations have installed solar system as an alternative source of energy as at today not just because of the unstable public power supply, but because of the cost, safety and environment friendliness. One is even scandalized and embarrassed to know that the installation of solar system as an alternative source to power the seat of government at the federal level is just about to happen now, when millions of Nigerians homes, offices and businesses have embraced it for close to two decades or more, and of which the fire is still spreading because of the economic and environmental reality confronting humanity globally.
This planned installation of solar system as an alternative source of power for Aso Rock Villa which ought to have been executed a long time ago in tandem with the reality and the peoples calls, but notwithstanding, we commend the President Bola Tinubu administration for another bold step in harkening to the citizens calls to cut down on government spending with this latest action which will save the public treasury billions of naira as well as complement the campaign for a cleaner and safer environment.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you.
Nelson Ekujumi is a Good governance advocate and mediaprenueur. He can be reached via ekujuminel@yahoo.com
