President Bola Tinubu has directly warned the 36 state governors to cease channelling public funds into flyovers and similar projects he considers non-essential, urging them to redirect their focus toward security and the everyday welfare of ordinary Nigerians. The president delivered the message during a meeting, making clear that visible but low-impact construction should not take precedence over investments that improve the quality of life for citizens at the grassroots level.
Tinubu's Message to Governors
Tinubu told the governors that their constituencies do not need more overhead bridges as much as they need safety, basic services, and conditions that allow people to live and work with dignity. He framed the caution as a matter of governance priorities, pushing back against what he described as a pattern of spending on projects that generate publicity without solving the real problems facing residents. By raising security alongside quality of life, the president signalled that governors must treat both as urgent obligations rather than secondary concerns.
Nigerians React to Tinubu's Advice
The president's remarks have generated mixed reactions from citizens. Fisayo Ademuwagun commented on the failure of some governors to perform, saying: 'Nigerians can name every mistake made in Aso Rock. But ask them to name three projects completed by their governor, and many can't. Why is that?' Another commenter, Mansa Hidji II, wrote: 'As a Christian we are admonished to pray for our leaders; what happens to the ones who have refused to use their freely given brains? I thought this administration had plans after the removal of the fuel subsidy. You suddenly realised and instead chose to shift blame.'
Oyafemi Kabiru added: 'Yes, that's just it. Most of the governors don't know what to do with the money you're giving them. Their focus should be security and the improvement of the state's citizens. But most of them don't know what governance is all about; they only care about mass weddings that will lead to instability of society's security.' Abubakar Yahaya Kusada commended the president, stating: 'This is a fatherly call. Most of these states building these flyovers have service roads in their cities and other local community roads in very bad condition.'
Tinubu Highlights Progress in Education
In related remarks, Tinubu pointed to the lack of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strikes since he took office as a sign of progress in Nigeria's troubled education sector. He made these comments while receiving the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria leadership at the State House in Abuja. ASUU's last major strike in 2022 lasted eight months, the longest in the union's history, wiping out nearly a full academic year. The president's emphasis on governance priorities continues to shape public debate on how state funds should be allocated.
