Reno Omokri, former aide to former president Goodluck Jonathan in a statement posted on X on Tuesday defended reasons solar energy should be installed in the Aso Rockl.

Recall on Monday the Federal Government approved ₦10billion for Solar Energy installation, to take Aso Rock off grid, due to poor power supply and Band A cost, so as to reduce the burden on the government.

The ₦10bn ($6.2M) was recently approved by the State House to purchase and install a mini-solar grid, in order to save cost on electricity and impending tariff increases.

This development has caused uproars on social media, as its Nigerian users berated the government for the new move, stating that after the administration promised steady supply of power during campaign, it now chose to ‘solarize’ itself amid steady increment in electricity tariff.

However Omokri said the move should be commended and not condemned as he listed other countries that are engaged in such as well.

He opined that the more Nigerians use solar energy, the lesser the pressure on the national grid that break down every now and then.

The former aide praised President Tinubu, he claimed he is “leading by example and saving the Nigerian taxpayer money,by installing solar panels at Aso Rock.

Omokri post on X read: “It is small-picture thinking to believe that installing solar panels in Aso Rock is tantamount to the President’s lack of faith in the government’s plan to improve electricity generation and transmission in Nigeria.

“Please fact-check me: The White House, which is the seat of the United States Government, has been using solar panels since 1979 under President Jimmy Carter. These panels were replaced and improved under President Ronald Reagan in 1989, again by President George W. Bush in 2002, and finally by President Barack Obama in 2013. They are scheduled to be updated by President Donald Trump.

“Again, please fact-check: Solar panels are scheduled for Buckingham Palace as part of King Charles III’s clean energy project for the British monarchy.

“The same is ongoing in France, where the official premises of the French President, the Elysée Palace, are being fitted with geothermal panels that will make that building less dependent on public energy.

“Are you now saying that that means the United States Government does not have confidence in the ability of the United States Department of Energy to coordinate and provide adequate power for America? Or do the British Royal Family and the French Presidency not express faith in British Gas and Électricité de France to provide power?

“Solar energy, as well as geothermal power, is the future, and the entire world will eventually transition from fossil fuels and other nonrenewable sources of energy to renewable energy like solar, which does not affect the environment as negatively as current energy sources do.

“Like the White House, Aso Rock is not the property of President Tinubu or any incumbent President. It is the abode of the leader of the government and Head of State.

“It is funded with public money, and the President, as a trustee, must spend public funds prudently.

“Solar panels provide a cheaper and more affordable alternative to traditional forms of electricity, which in Nigeria are either hydroelectric or generated by power generators.

“By installing solar panels at Aso Rock, President Tinubu is leading by example and saving the Nigerian taxpayer money.

“The more Nigerians use solar energy, the less pressure they put on the National Grid. The grid can then evacuate scarce electric power to where it is most needed, including rural communities and industrial clusters.

“I appeal to Nigerians to think things through before jumping on government-bashing trends. It is a total misunderstanding of the issues for anyone to impugn the President and malign the Presidency for an act for which the government ought to be celebrated.” The former aide urged.

By: Adeoye Olorunseun Elizabeth