By Ify Okoli
President Bola Tinubu
has criticised state governors for spending public funds on flyovers in areas
with little traffic, saying the sharp increase in federal allocations to states
should be used to improve road networks, strengthen security access and deliver
projects that directly improve people's daily lives.
The President made the remarks on Thursday while receiving a
delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of
Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Addressing the monarchs, Tinubu said governors now have
significantly more financial resources than before following reforms introduced
by his administration, particularly after the removal of the petrol subsidy in
May 2023. He noted that many states are no longer struggling to pay workers'
salaries and pensions, making it necessary for governors to focus on projects
with greater social and economic impact.
According to the President, constructing flyovers in
locations that experience little traffic does not address the pressing
infrastructure needs of many communities.
"They are taking four to five times their money. Nobody
is borrowing money to pay salaries now. Pensioners are receiving their pay, and
they should do more instead of building flyovers where there is no numeric
traffic. They should build roads and road networks that will improve the
quality of life and make it easier for security agencies to reach those
areas," Tinubu said.
Tinubu appealed to the traditional rulers to use their
influence to encourage governors to channel available resources towards
projects that have a more direct impact on the lives of citizens.
"You need to help us communicate to these governors.
The cost of governance is high today, but the resources going to the states are
also much higher than before," he told the delegation.
His comments come amid growing public scrutiny over how
state governments are spending the increased monthly allocations received from
the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) since the subsidy removal,
which has substantially boosted revenues available to the states.
The Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who served as Governor of
Oyo State between 2003 and 2007, visited the President alongside other
traditional rulers from the state.
Beyond infrastructure, Tinubu used the meeting to reassure
the monarchs that his administration remains committed to improving security
across the country.
He said security agencies had recorded significant gains
against bandits and terrorists in different parts of Nigeria, including the
successful rescue of kidnapped victims in Oyo State.
The President disclosed that the Nigerian Army has been
expanded from eight to 12 divisions to improve operational capacity and reduce
response time during security emergencies.
He also said the Federal Government is strengthening forest
guards, explaining that their role will go beyond protecting forests to
actively tracking and confronting criminal groups that use forested areas as
hideouts.
Tinubu maintained that his administration would not
negotiate with kidnappers or release detained criminal suspects in exchange for
abducted victims.
According to him, criminal gangs had demanded both ransom
payments and the release of their detained members during negotiations over
kidnapped victims, but the government rejected those conditions.
"We refused to pay ransom. They wanted us to release
members of their gangs already in detention alongside the money they demanded.
We said no deal," the President stated.
He argued that yielding to such demands would only encourage
further criminal activities and weaken the country's fight against kidnapping
and terrorism.
The President also linked Nigeria's security challenges to
instability across parts of the Sahel region, particularly in Mali, Burkina
Faso and the Niger Republic, saying developments in those neighbouring
countries continue to place additional pressure on Nigeria's security
architecture.
He reiterated his administration's commitment to
establishing state police, noting that appropriate safeguards would be
introduced to prevent abuse of the proposed security structure.
Tinubu added that he intends to hold wider consultations
with traditional rulers across the country to gather local perspectives that
could help shape more effective security strategies.
While acknowledging the enormity of the task before his
administration, the President said he accepted both the achievements and
challenges inherited from previous governments and remained determined to
address them.
He also praised members of the armed forces and other
security agencies for their efforts in restoring stability in Oyo State, urging
traditional rulers to continue mobilising their communities to cooperate with
security personnel, saying lasting peace can only be achieved through sustained
collaboration between government, security agencies and the people.
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