Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, has urged governors across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that the state of roads in the country is a joint responsibility.
President Tinubu made the statement when he received members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) at his Lagos residence.
“I want us to discard federal, state, or rural road classifications. We must regard development as a joint responsibility,” he was quoted saying.
Tinubu ordered the security heads to apprehend those responsible for the killings and instructed the army to step up their pursuit of the attackers.
While he expressed sympathy for the victims and emphasised the value of human life, the president urged people who held opposing views to change their ways of thinking and warned them of the repercussions of their choices.
In a statement by presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu said “Nigeria needs peace and stability to move forward. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and we have to take care of it.”
The president and ECOWAS chair while speaking further on the importance of peace, also commended the efforts of the governor of Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara, in resolving the state’s political crisis.
“I thank you for your statesmanship. I listened to your broadcast and your emphasis on peace,” Tinubu said.
“It is only with peace that effective governance can thrive, and governance has commenced in earnest under my watch.
The governors expressed their sympathy to the Plateau people and promised to stand behind the president while he implemented economic reforms.
In the statement, Tinubu added that he had already met with the minister of budget and economic planning, Atiku Bagudu, and the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Wale Edun, to go over “certain elements” in the 2024 appropriations bill.
In a bid to encourage rapid infrastructure development across the nation, the president called for increased collaboration between the federal and municipal governments.
“Let us prioritise our children. The school feeding programme must return quickly, beginning from the local government to the state and federal governments. We must be ready to protect our children and prepare them for the future”. Tinubu said.