A pro-government group has hit back at former Senator Dino Melaye over his criticism of the Federal Government’s decision to install a solar power system at the Presidential Villa, describing his remarks as uninformed and politically motivated.
The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG), in a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, said Maleye’s claim that President Bola Tinubu had given up on power generation by opting for solar energy at Aso Rock was baseless and unbecoming of a federal lawmaker.
The group cited the scale of the Villa’s electricity cost as justification for the switch, noting that Aso Rock’s annual electricity bill has risen to N47 billion, a figure that excludes spending on diesel and generator maintenance.
Against that backdrop, TMSG argued that the N17 billion solar project, described as one-off capital expenditure for off-grid power supply, represented a sound and commendable cost-cutting decision.
The group also referenced remarks by State House Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashola, who had told Senators during budget defence session that the solarisation project would additionally save the government the cost of replacing aging electricity generation plants, which he said could run to hundreds of millions of naira.
It noted that the State House Clinic had already been taken off the national grid since May last year through a similar solar arrangement. TMSG further argued that the move would free up electricity previously dedicated to the Presidential Villa for redistribution to communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Pushing back on the broader allegation that the administration had abandoned the power sector, the group pointed to several ongoing initiatives, including legislation enabling the state government to participate in the electricity value chain, the continued implementation of the Siemens-backed Presidential Power Initiative inherited from the Buhari administration, efforts to settle legacy debts owed to electricity generating companies, and the rollout of free smart meters to addressing estimated billing nationwide.
The group also framed the Aso Rock solar project within climate commitments, noting that the country’s net-zero emissions target for 2060 and that the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative aimed to connect multiple ministries, departments and agencies to clean energy sources.
In a pointed closing remark, TMSG urged Melaye to be less shambolic in his public engagements, and to seek greater understanding of policy issues before making public pronouncements.
