President Bola Tinubu has criticised state governors for allegedly prioritising the construction of flyovers in areas with low traffic instead of investing in road networks and other infrastructure capable of improving residents’ quality of life and strengthening security response.
The president spoke on Thursday while receiving a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The delegation was led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja.
Tinubu said state governments had received significantly increased allocations since his administration removed the petrol subsidy in May 2023, adding that governors should make better use of the additional revenue by addressing critical infrastructure and development needs.
According to him, many states now receive between four and five times the allocations they previously received, while the era of governments borrowing money to pay workers’ salaries has largely ended.
“They are taking four to five times their money. Nobody is borrowing money to pay salaries now,” the president said.
“Pensioners are receiving their pay, and they should do more instead of building flyovers where there is no numeric traffic to build roads and arteries that will enhance the quality of life and improve the accessibility of security agencies to those areas.”
Tinubu urges traditional rulers
Tinubu urged the traditional rulers to communicate his concerns to the governors, stressing that public funds should be directed towards projects with greater social and economic benefits.
He noted that although the cost of governance and public operations had increased, the rise in federal allocations had given state governments more financial capacity to address infrastructure deficits and improve the welfare of residents.
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“You need to help us communicate to these governors,” he told the monarchs. “Today, 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.”
The president’s comments come amid growing public scrutiny over how state governments are spending the increased revenues accruing to them following the removal of petrol subsidy and other economic reforms introduced by the Federal Government.
Tinubu Speaks on Security
Beyond infrastructure, Tinubu used the meeting to provide updates on his administration’s efforts to tackle insecurity across the country.
He said the Federal Government had recorded progress in the fight against banditry and terrorism, including the rescue of kidnapped victims in Oyo State.
The president disclosed that the Nigerian Army had been expanded from eight to 12 divisions to improve its operational capacity and reduce response time in addressing security threats.
He also said the Federal Government was strengthening forest guards to pursue criminal groups operating from forested areas, rather than limiting their responsibilities to the protection of wildlife and forest resources.
Tinubu reiterated that his administration would not negotiate with criminal gangs by paying ransom or releasing detained members of their groups in exchange for abducted victims.
“We refused to pay ransom,” he said. “These criminals wanted us to release members of their gangs already in detention. That was one of their conditions, aside from the money they were demanding. We said no deal.”
The president linked the worsening security situation in parts of Nigeria to political instability and insecurity in some Sahel countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and the Niger Republic.
He said the crisis in the region had placed additional pressure on Nigeria’s security architecture and required stronger collaboration among security agencies, governments and traditional institutions.
Plans on state policing revealed
Tinubu also disclosed that his administration was considering the establishment of state police, with measures expected to be introduced to prevent political abuse and misuse of the proposed security outfits.
He added that planned engagements with traditional rulers across the country would provide an opportunity for the Federal Government to receive direct feedback on security challenges affecting local communities.
“The immediate challenge is monumental. It’s not an easy job, but I asked for it, and I got it,” the president said.
“You gave me the support, and I got to do it. I accept the assets and liabilities of my predecessor; that’s the challenge of today.”
Tinubu commended security agencies for their efforts in maintaining peace and stability in Oyo State and urged traditional rulers to encourage residents to cooperate with security personnel and support ongoing operations.
