President Bola Tinubu has urged state governors to stop spending public funds on unnecessary flyovers in areas with little traffic and instead invest in road networks that improve the lives of citizens and strengthen security operations.
The President gave the charge 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, Abuja.
Addressing the traditional rulers, Tinubu noted that state governments now receive significantly higher allocations from the Federation Account than in previous years and should channel the funds into projects with greater impact.
“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 flying over 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 also revealed that terrorists who abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State demanded the release of detained gang members in addition to ransom, but his administration rejected the conditions.
Speaking publicly on the incident for the first time since the victims were rescued on July 10, the President reiterated that his government would never negotiate with terrorists or pay ransom.
“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.
“They committed murder, and we were ready to finish with their families, members of their own communities. They grew up somewhere.”
He commended the armed forces for the successful rescue operation and disclosed that the Federal Government had expanded the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions to improve response time against terrorism and banditry.
“I agree that we should commend the men and women of the armed forces for their excellent performance.
“On behalf of them, I accept your message, and I will forward the same thing and the same message on.”
According to Tinubu, every security challenge has helped reshape the country’s security architecture and operational strategy.
“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.
“And you will have seen we’ve given a geographical and numerical answer to the challenges.
“We refused to pay ransom. We have the geography of the forest. We know what it is, and in answer to it, you’ve seen that from eight divisions, we are now moving to 12 divisions, to shorten the response time, to give that response time the teeth that is needed for us to defeat terrorism and banditry,” he said.
The President also reaffirmed his support for the creation of state police, saying the initiative would include safeguards against abuse while giving traditional rulers a more active role in community security.
“There will be state police, and that state police will have guardrails from abuses.
“We will protect it from abuses, and you traditional rulers too will have a role to play more.”
Tinubu blamed the worsening security situation on instability in neighbouring Sahel countries, saying Nigeria must strengthen forest guards and local policing to tackle the growing threat.
“Some of them are non-Nigerians. You see the problem of insecurity in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic; it is adding more fuel to our challenges.
“In fact, that is why we must enhance the capacity of the forest guards as well as create the state police,” he said.
