Tinubu To Governors: Prioritise Roads Over Unnecessary Flyovers

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday urged state governors to prioritise the construction of road networks over flyovers in areas with little traffic, saying improved federal allocations should be invested in projects that enhance economic activities, improve access to rural communities and strengthen security operations.

Speaking while receiving a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu said states were now receiving four to five times more allocations from the Federation Account than in previous years.

Addressing Ladoja and other members of the delegation, some of whom are former governors, the President said the increased revenue had eased financial pressures on states, including salary and pension payments.

“The cost of operation is high. But the money that I’m pushing to the states, if you had it during your own time, or during my time, it would have been different.

“They are taking four to five times their money. Nobody is borrowing money to pay salaries now. Pensioners are receiving their pay.

“They should do more instead of building flyovers where there is no numeric traffic. Build roads and artery networks to really enhance the quality of life and the accessibility of the security agencies to penetrate those areas,” Tinubu said.

The delegation had visited the President to congratulate him on the successful rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after spending 56 days in captivity.

Commenting on the rescue operation, Tinubu disclosed that the kidnappers had demanded the release of detained members of their gang in addition to ransom payments, but his administration rejected the conditions.

“We refuse to negotiate for ransom. These criminals wanted us to release from detention members of their criminal gangs that were already arrested. That was one of their conditions, outside of the money they were looking for.

“And we said no deal. We are not going to negotiate with criminals,” the President stated.

Tinubu said the Oriire abduction prompted his administration to strengthen the nation’s military architecture by expanding the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions to improve response time and enhance operations against terrorism and banditry.

According to him, the government has also improved its understanding of forest terrains used by criminal groups, enabling security agencies to respond more effectively.

“As we emphasise the question of security, each event teaches us new methods, opens our eyes, challenges us to examine and re-examine our architecture, our strategy, our map and operations.

“We refused to pay ransom. We have the geography of the forest. In answer to it, you’ve seen that from eight divisions, we are now moving to 12 divisions to shorten the response time and give that response the teeth needed to defeat terrorism and banditry,” he said.

The President commended the armed forces for the successful rescue mission and pledged to convey the appreciation expressed by the traditional rulers to the military personnel involved.

He also reiterated his administration’s commitment to establishing state police, assuring that constitutional safeguards would be put in place to prevent abuse.

“There will be state police, and that state police will have guardrails against abuses. We will protect it from abuses, and you traditional rulers too will have a greater role to play,” he said.

Tinubu attributed the growing insecurity in Nigeria partly to instability in neighbouring Sahel countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, noting that cross-border criminal activities had compounded security challenges.

“Some of them are non-Nigerians. You see the problem of insecurity in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic; it is adding more fuel to our challenges.

“That is why we must enhance the capacity of the forest guards as well as create the state police,” the President added.