‘Invest in citizens’ welfare, not empty flyover projects’ – Tinubu tells Governors

President Bola Tinubu has urged state governors to prioritise projects that directly improve the lives of citizens instead of constructing flyovers in areas with little traffic.

The president made the appeal on Thursday while receiving traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Addressing the monarch, Tinubu noted that state governments now receive significantly higher allocations than they did during the period both he and Ladoja served as governors.

He stated that the increased revenue should be channelled into meaningful development initiatives that address the needs of the people, rather than spending on flyover projects in locations that do not experience heavy vehicular traffic.

Tinubu was governor of Lagos from 1999 to 2007, while Ladoja served as governor of Oyo from 2003 to 2007.

The president said owing to the increased financial allocations, governors are no longer borrowing money to pay salaries.

“You have governed before as a governor. You need to help us communicate to these governors,” Tinubu said.

“Today, the economy of operation is high. But the money that I’m pushing to the states, if you had 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.”

The president said his administration is taking steps to improve security at the local level through the establishment of state police.

He called on traditional rulers to play a greater role in tackling insecurity, noting that the government is enhancing the capacity of forest guards to combat criminal activities.

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