A well known northern cleric and community leader, LA Ibrahim Saeed Kanam, has issued a strong warning to the government of President Bola Tinubu over a reported plan to introduce taxes on solar energy use.
Speaking in a video that is quickly spreading online, he said, Tinubu government refuses to give you light. Anybody you see with light right now in Nigeria, is using solar. Now the government want to create a law for people to pay tax for using solar. Anybody who comes to me to pay tax for solar should be ready for war. Because you don’t provide us with electricity and you still want to tax us for using solar.
He explained that many nigerians now depend on solar power due to years of unreliable electricity supply. According to him, citizens have been left with no choice but to invest in personal solar systems to keep their homes and businesses running.
The cleric expressed anger over reports that officials may introduce a law requiring people to pay tax for using solar energy, describing it as unfair and insensitive. He stressed that the government cannot fail to provide basic electricity and then turn around to charge people for finding their own alternative.
His statement, delivered with strong emotion and gestures in an office setting, has sparked widespread reactions online. Many nigerians have backed his position and are calling for resistance to any such policy, while others see the proposed move as an added burden on citizens already facing serious power challenges.
The situation highlights the ongoing electricity crisis in nigeria, where households and businesses continue to rely heavily on solar energy to maintain daily activities.
