Tinubu to govs: Prioritise roads over flyovers

President Bola Tinubu has urged state governors to prioritise road construction over flyovers in areas with low traffic, saying improved federal allocations should be invested in infrastructure that enhances connectivity, security and the quality of life.

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.

Tinubu said states now receive four to five times more from the Federation Account than they did in previous years, giving governors greater capacity to undertake meaningful development projects.

“The cost of operation is high. But the money that I’m pushing to the states… They are taking four to five times their money. Nobody is borrowing money to pay salaries now. Pensioners are receiving their pay,” he said.

He advised governors to focus on projects with wider economic and security benefits.

“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,” the President said.

Tinubu also spoke on the recent rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, revealing that the kidnappers demanded both ransom and the release of detained gang members.

According to him, the Federal Government rejected the demands and maintained its policy of not negotiating with terrorists.

“We refused to negotiate for ransom. These criminals wanted us to release members of their criminal gangs already in detention, alongside the money they demanded. We said no deal. We are not going to negotiate with criminals,” he said.

The President commended the armed forces for successfully rescuing the victims, noting that intelligence and knowledge of the forest terrain played a key role in the operation.

He said the incident informed his decision to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions to improve response time and strengthen the fight against terrorism and banditry.

Tinubu also reiterated his administration’s commitment to establishing state police with safeguards against abuse, adding that traditional rulers would have important roles in the new security structure.

He attributed the worsening security situation in parts of Nigeria to instability in neighbouring Sahel countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, saying the development had intensified cross-border security threats.

The President said the Federal Government would continue strengthening forest guards and other security measures to tackle the growing challenge.