- President Bola Tinubu has urged state governors to halt the construction of vanity flyovers in low-traffic areas and instead invest increased federal revenue allocations into rural road networks that enhance security access and local living standards.
- Speaking during a delegation visit led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, President Tinubu revealed that the Federal Government flatly rejected ransom and prisoner-swap demands made by terrorists during the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State.
- The President announced the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions to improve emergency response times, while reaffirming plans to establish state police with strict legal guardrails to prevent political abuse.
President Bola Tinubu has challenged state governors to redirect their increased federal revenue allocations toward critical rural road networks rather than constructing flyover bridges in low-traffic areas.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the President made the call during a meeting at the State House with a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who paid a congratulatory visit following the successful rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
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President Tinubu emphasized that state governments now receive four to five times more funding from the Federation Account compared to previous administrations, eliminating the need to borrow money to meet basic operational expenses like payroll and pensions.
Pointing out that excessive urban infrastructure spending often overlooks critical rural needs, he urged governors to channel resources into building arterial road networks.
He explained that well-paved rural access roads are essential for connecting agricultural hubs, improving community livelihoods, and enabling security agencies to penetrate remote regions to combat criminality.
Addressing the recent Oriire school abductions publicly for the first time since the victims were freed on July 10, President Tinubu revealed that the kidnappers had demanded both a monetary ransom and the release of detained criminal gang members as conditions for their freedom.
Reaffirming his administration’s firm policy against negotiating with terrorists, the President stated that the Federal Government outrightly refused the demands, choosing instead to deploy military operations to secure the captives safely.
Highlighting ongoing structural adaptations to Nigeria’s defense framework, the President disclosed that his administration has ordered the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions.
He noted that the strategic expansion is designed to shorten operational response times, improve geographic coverage, and neutralize terrorist networks operating out of dense forest hideouts.
Additionally, he attributed heightened insurgency in parts of the country to regional instability across Sahelian nations like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic, reiterating that plans to establish state police with strong guardrails against political abuse remain on track to secure local communities across the nation.
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