President Bola Tinubu on Thursday urged state governors to stop building flyovers in areas with low traffic and instead channel their significantly enhanced federal allocations into road networks that would improve living standards and give security agencies better access to remote areas.
He noted that states were now receiving four to five times what they used to get from the Federation Account.
Tinubu made the charge when he received a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who came to congratulate him on the successful rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area after 56 days in captivity.
The President, directing his remarks at Ladoja and others who had previously served as governors, said, “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.”
Also at the meeting, Tinubu said terrorists who abducted school children and teachers in Oriire last May had demanded the release of their jailed members alongside their ransom demand but were flatly refused.
