(President Bola Tinubu. Photo by Vanguard News)
President Tinubu has warned that government will no longer tolerate corruption and wasteful spending by the newly created Regional Development Commissions, threatening to sanction any officials found guilty.
Speaking through the Secretary to the Government at the first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit in Abuja, Tinubu said the era of white elephant projects is over.
The commissions must stop wasting public funds and instead focus on projects that unlock regional potential while strengthening connections across the country.
He directed the Secretary’s office to ensure funds meant for the commissions are released promptly and on schedule.
He also pushed them to seek private capital and partnerships rather than relying solely on government money.
The commissions were set up under his Renewed Hope Agenda to close long-standing development gaps, not to duplicate or interfere with existing government structures.
Tinubu said they should prioritise roads, rail, air transport, industries, security, investment, education, health and human resource development with programmes that are clear, achievable and properly funded.
Most importantly, he stressed that development should be about the people and not just about producing documents and reports that gather dust.
Meanwhile, the North Central Development Commission unveiled an ambitious 20-year plan to transform the region’s agriculture, minerals, infrastructure and human resources into productive assets, investment and jobs.
The commission said investors see markets and supply chains rather than state boundaries, and the region should operate as an integrated economy instead of isolated state projects.