Tinubu warns regional commissions against corruption, white elephant projects

President Bola Tinubu Monday warned the newly established Regional Development Commissions (RDC) against corruption, politicisation and the execution of unviable projects, saying that the era of “white elephant projects” and waste of public funds is over.

Tinubu spoke at the opening of the first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit in Abuja, also directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, to ensure that funds accruable to the commissions are released as and when due.

The president, who was represented by Akume, said the RDCs were established under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development and bridge long-standing infrastructural and economic gaps across the country.

He warned that the commissions must not become conduits for mismanagement of public resources.

“The era of white elephant projects is over and there is no excuse for the commissions to become another conduit pipe for wasting public funds,” Tinubu said.

He charged the boards and managements of the commissions to operate strictly within extant laws and regulations, warning against corruption, marginalisation, politicisation and ethnic considerations in the running of government operations.

“Such actions will not be tolerated and the government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable,” he said.

The president said the commissions are not intended to replace, duplicate or usurp the functions of existing tiers of government, but to identify and close development gaps that have persisted over the years.

He said the commissions must instead focus on projects capable of unlocking the economic potential of their respective regions while strengthening interconnectivity across the country.

Tinubu listed roads, rail, air transportation, industrialisation, security, investment, human capital development, education and healthcare among the areas requiring strategic intervention.

He urged the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) to develop clear, concise, attainable and fundable programmes, adding that development initiatives must translate into tangible benefits for citizens.