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FG insists no region marginalised under Tinubu
In response to circulating rumors, misinformation, and partial truths, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Hon. Mohammed Idris, clarified on Sunday that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has consistently upheld fairness, justice, and equity in allocating federal projects, appointments, and opportunities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
He emphasized, “Contrary to the perception being pushed in some quarters, this administration has demonstrated uncommon commitment to balanced development and inclusivity since assuming office.
The distribution of capital projects under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is equitable.
“No region is playing a second fiddle or ignored. In addition to projects by various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, all six regions now have Regional Development Commissions to re-kickstart development efforts. While the Coastal Highway courses through the South, the Badagry–Sokoto Highway, under construction, traverses majorly the North. This sense of balance runs through all the major infrastructure projects being implemented today.
READ ALSO: FG’s ₦142 billion bus stop budget, evidence of Tinubu’s cluelessness – Obi
“Major infrastructural interventions are simultaneously ongoing across the federation—from highways and bridges to rail and power projects. The administration has secured funding for light rail projects in Kano and Kaduna states to the tune of ₦150 billion and ₦100 billion, respectively. The metroline projects in Lagos and Ogun States form part of the government’s effort to develop Nigeria’s light rail infrastructure. Collectively, these projects are expected to create over 250,000 jobs nationwide.
“There is also a renewed push for the rehabilitation of the Eastern Corridor of the rail line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. In addition, over 1,000 primary health care centres have been rehabilitated across the country, underscoring the administration’s commitment to human capital and social infrastructure.
“From verifiable data, the actual distribution of projects shows the Northwest as the biggest beneficiary Northwest: ₦5.97 trillion (over 40% of approvals)
South South: ₦2.41 trillion, North Central: ₦1.13 trillion ,South East: ₦407 billion, North East: ₦400 billion, South West (excluding Lagos): ₦604 billion
Legacy Road Projects under President Tinubu:Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway (750 km): 175 km ongoing in Lagos, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States .Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway (1,068 km): 378 km ongoing in Kebbi and Sokoto sections. Trans-Sahara Highway (465 km): 118 km ongoing in Ebonyi State. Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe Road (439 km): Being redesigned from flexible to rigid pavement for durability.
Out of the total length of these projects, the North accounts for 52% and the South for 48%.
“Other Major Projects in the North Sokoto–Gusau–Funtua–Zaria Road (275 km dualised, ₦824bn). Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Road (350 km dualised, ₦764bn). BUA Tax Credit Road in Jigawa, Katsina, Kano (256 km dualised). Zaria–Hunkuyi Road (156 km). Kano Northern Bypass (49 km). Kano–Maiduguri Road (100.9 km). Bama and Dikwa Roads in Borno (100 km). Damaturu–Maiduguri Road (110 km). Malando Road in Kebbi (76 km). Benue–9th Mile Road (250 km dualised, $958m). Lokoja–Okene Dualisation (86 km). Kaduna–Katsina Roads (Sections 1 and 2, ₦150bn).
“Major Projects in the South: Lagos–Ibadan (8.5 km, ₦33bn). Lagos–Sagamu (12 km dualised). Oyo–Ogbomoso–Ilorin (₦146bn). Rehabilitation of Carter, Third Mainland, and Eko Bridges (₦120bn).
“South East Enugu–Onitsha Road (107 km, ₦202bn via MTN Tax Credit). Enugu–Onitsha Road (72 km, ₦150bn via CBC). Enugu–Abakaliki Road (36 km). 2nd Niger Bridge Access Road (17.5 km dualised, ₦175bn). Lokpanta–Enugu Road (61 km dualised, ₦100bn).
“South South: Eleme–Onne Road (30 km, ₦156bn).Eket Bypass (9.7 km dualised, ₦76bn). East–West Road Section 2 (₦186bn). Nembe–Brass Road (₦150bn )Lokoja–Benin Dualisation (₦167bn).2nd Niger Bridge Access Road in Delta (17 km dualised, ₦146bn). Bodo–Bonny Road in Rivers (35 km with 12 bridges, ₦200bn).
“Beyond roads and rail, this administration has also revived the 255MW Kaduna Power Plant, advanced the AKK Gas Project, and expanded oil and gas exploration in the North with the drilling of three oil wells in the Kolmani region of Bauchi and Gombe States. Kano-Maradi rail line, inherited at 5% has received huge funding support from the government making it attain 67% within a short time.
“President Tinubu is building national infrastructure, not local trophies. Lagos is rightly upgraded as Nigeria’s commercial hub, but the Northwest holds the lion’s share of approvals. This proves that all regions are receiving fair consideration.
“Equity is also evident in federal appointments. President Tinubu has consistently appointed capable Nigerians from every part of the country, guided by competence and inclusivity rather than sectional considerations.
“Inclusivity lies at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda. The establishment of five new Regional Development Commissions and the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development further illustrate the President’s determination to address Nigeria’s unique developmental needs in a manner that benefits all sections of the country.
“On the whole, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not only kept faith with Nigerians but has proven himself to be a fair, pragmatic, and consequential reformer. His leadership is inclusive, his vision is unifying, and his commitment to equity and justice is unwavering. Nigerians can rest assured that under his watch, no part of this country will be left behind”.
The echoes of the drums rolled out to celebrate the rescue of the 44 teachers and students, kidnapped from some schools in Oyo State, after 56 days in the bush, would surely be disrupted abruptly, with the divergent echoes of a fresh abduction, this time coming from Kogi State.
Reports indicate that the gunmen, struck on Tuesday at the Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area of the state, abducting four students, the school principal and a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc staff member.
Authorities of the Kogi State Police Command, who immediately unleashed their operatives in hot pursuit of the abductors, said the attack occurred at about 5:25 p.m. while the students were writing their NECO examination.
Saliu Oyiza Afusat, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and spokesman of the command, said a combined team of police personnel and other security agencies has launched a search-and-rescue operation following the incident.
Informing that one of the students was actually rescued immediately, she said efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims and apprehend the attackers, adding that Naziru Bello Kankarofi, the state Commissioner of Police, alongside the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser to the Governor, Commodore Jerry Omodara (Rtd), were already on the way to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
Oil prices are expected to go down now with the announcement of Donald Trump, US President that he will no longer impose a 20 percent “safe passage” fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The POTUS, hinged his reversal of the decision on the intervention from some Gulf countries, who pleaded with him not to toe the line due to the massive economic impact the decision would make on the region.
Indeed, oil prices had shot up immediately Trump announced the new levy on Monday while declaring the US ‘the guardians of the Hormuz strait,’ a measure which he said was to pay for the cost of guarding the volatile area in order keep supply of oil flowing.
Reports said that Gulf allies of the US worked frantically to get Trump on the phone in time to talk him out of the idea altogether, while a flurry of appeals came from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.
In response, the POTUS, posting on his Truth Social platform, wrote: “Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States.”
Trump, who said the investments would be “MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future,” added that the deals would see factories, plants, and equipment pour into the US at “Historic levels.”
The Gulf nations have committed to invest trillions of dollars in the US, though it remains unclear how much of that they will actually spend over the next several years.
Meanwhile, the US continues to bomb Iran in what appears to be a resumption of active conflict between both countries, despite an ongoing roadmap to end the conflict.
Reports say operatives of the Osun State Police Command, and those of the Department of State Services (DSS) had tracking the trail of Adeniyi Adeyemi, controversial Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), for weeks, before he was eventually pulled out of his hole on Tuesday.
However, the duo, were said to have pulled back after failing to track him through his mobile phones, which he had reportedly switched off for about two days, making it difficult to locate him, leaving the stage for the members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (PI-RT) led by Moses Lohor, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).
Lohor, said to have previously served as the Commander of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of Osun State, and reported to have been involved in high-profile security operations and controversies, after taken over fielded his men to pick up signals from their well-oiled signal networks.
Regarded by many Osun residents as one of the key security officers who contributed significantly to the peace and stability enjoyed in Ilesa and other parts of the state during his tenure, he was said to have relied on his contacts before his transfer out of the state, said to have raised concerns from the public about the security situation he would be leaving behind.
His exit from the state was said to be hinged on an incident in 2024, in which he allegedly shot one Iyanda Alowonle, then Chairman of Osun State Motor Transport System, in the stomach at the police station in the state prompting an order for his arrest by then Inspector General of Police (IGP).
His effort was said to have paid off when he successfully tracked down the controversial PFIPC, boss, who was seen on Tuesday evening, in a shot video on social media undergoing interrogation, and eventually handed him over to Ibrahim Gotan, Commissioner of Police in the state.
The PUNCH quoted one of the sources as saying: “The arrest (of Adeyemi) took place on Tuesday morning by the IRT squad, who immediately moved him to Abuja. After he was arrested, he was taken to Ibadan and from there to Abuja.”
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