“I Told the President” – Orji Kalu Reveals Private Advice to Tinubu on Insecurity

• Senator says macroeconomic gains yet to reach ordinary Nigerians, advocates proper investment in security for sustainable economic growth.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North in the Senate, has said he personally told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that while the economy is showing positive signs at the macroeconomic level, the benefits have yet to reach ordinary Nigerians due to persistent insecurity across the country. The former Abia State Governor made the assertion on Monday, June 22, 2026, in Sokoto while speaking after commissioning a network of 10 road projects constructed by the administration of Governor Ahmed Aliyu in the Arkilla New Layout area of the state. The road network, executed at a cost of over N3.5 billion, comprises interconnected roads designed to improve urban mobility and stimulate socio-economic activities.

Addressing the nation’s security challenges through adequate investment and stronger measures is critical to achieving sustainable economic growth and improving the living conditions of citizens. “What this country needs is economic expansion so that there can be money, prosperity and goodness for Nigerians. This is what the country needs,” he said.

The Senator, who described himself as an industrialist, stated that he had personally conveyed his concerns to President Tinubu regarding the gap between positive macroeconomic indicators and the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians. “Things might look difficult today. Yes, as you can see, I am an industrialist. The macroeconomy is doing well, but the microeconomy is not doing well. I told the President this,” he stated.

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Kalu commended President Tinubu for efforts aimed at expanding the economy, saying the reforms have yielded positive results at the broader economic level. However, he noted that the benefits of those reforms have yet to adequately reach many Nigerians, a situation he partly attributed to the security challenges confronting various parts of the country. He expressed optimism that improved investment in security would create the enabling environment needed for economic gains to trickle down to the grassroots and improve citizens’ welfare.

Security and economic development are closely linked, Kalu noted, as businesses, investors and communities can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace and stability. This is not the first time the senator has raised these concerns. In a previous interview, he described Nigeria as “highly under-policed” and disclosed that President Tinubu has been having “sleepless nights” over the country’s security and economic challenges. He had also previously urged the President to sack some ministers and security chiefs who were not performing well, stressing that the macroeconomic gains were not trickling down fast enough to the ordinary Nigerian.

He reaffirmed his commitment to Nigeria’s unity, urging citizens to continue supporting efforts aimed at fostering peace and national cohesion. “Nigeria is one, and I will continue to pray and plead for the unity of this country until I die,” he said.

The former governor further commended Governor Ahmed Aliyu for inviting him to commission the road projects and lauded the administration’s investment in infrastructure development. He described the pace of development under Governor Aliyu as “impressive,” noting that it reflects a deliberate effort to reposition Sokoto and restore its historic status as the seat of the Caliphate.

“I Told the President” – Orji Kalu Reveals Private Advice to Tinubu on Insecurity

JUST IN: One Injured As Bomb Explosion Rocks Lagos Market

• Explosive device planted under vehicle in Mushin commercial area detonates on ignition, triggering security response as police declare area safe.

A bomb explosion suspected to have been caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) rocked the Shoe Materials Market in Mushin, Lagos, in the early hours of Monday, June 22, 2026, triggering brief panic among residents and traders. One person sustained injuries in the blast and was taken to a nearby hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment and are in a stable condition. Police Commissioner Fatai Tijani confirmed the incident and assured the public that the situation is under control. The incident occurred at 22, Wey Street in Oke Mushin, where a gold Toyota Sienna with registration number Lagos AAA11FX was parked overnight by a resident who had moved into the area barely three months ago. According to residents, the owner of the vehicle went to start the engine before 6 a.m., likely to leave for work, when the bomb detonated on the passenger side and injured him. The explosion blew out the passenger side of the vehicle, which was later found covered with sheets of transparent polythene taped over the frames, while the body was scorched and smeared with gunpowder. Broken glass still littered the ground beneath the doors.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr. Fatai Tijani, addressed journalists at the scene of the incident on Monday after security operatives conducted a comprehensive sweep of the area. He said the police received information about an explosion and immediately deployed Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operatives to cordon off and secure the location. “We promptly deployed our EOD team after receiving reports of an explosion. The area was cordoned off and thoroughly searched,” Tijani stated.

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Preliminary findings indicated that the explosion was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device planted under a vehicle parked within the commercial area. The device was placed beneath the passenger side and detonated when the vehicle’s engine was started. “The IED was under the vehicle by the passenger side. It exploded when the vehicle was started,” Tijani explained. After a detailed sweep by EOD experts, no additional explosive devices were discovered in the area. Remnants of the explosive device have been recovered and taken for forensic examination as investigations continue. The victim’s account is being reviewed as part of ongoing investigations, and the police are working to determine who planted the device and why.

The Baale of Oke Mushin Community, Mr. Tajudeen Faronbi, told journalists that the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday while he was observing his morning prayers. “Early this morning, around one o’clock, while I was praying, I received a call that something unusual had been seen. When I got there, I saw a vehicle and people were afraid to go near it,” Faronbi said. He immediately contacted the Area Commander and other security authorities, who quickly mobilised officers to the scene. About 35 police operatives were deployed to secure the area, with additional backup units drafted in to ensure order and prevent residents from approaching the scene. Faronbi said the swift response helped to calm tensions and prevent what could have escalated into panic within the community.

Tijani urged residents, traders, and other members of the public to remain calm and resume normal activities, stressing that the situation had been brought under control. He also cautioned against rumours suggesting widespread insecurity in Lagos, describing such claims as false and misleading. The police boss reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state and warned criminal elements to stay away from Lagos. The identity and ownership of the vehicle involved in the explosion remain unclear, as residents were unable to confirm who parked it or its purpose. The Baale noted that he had no prior information about the vehicle’s owner, only that the car had been parked in the area for two to three months.

JUST IN: One Injured As Bomb Explosion Rocks Lagos Market

FG Orders Immediate Halt of Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road Work – Here’s Why

• Minister Dave Umahi halts work over technical concerns, questions N2.8 billion palliative certificate, and warns of sanctions for poor performance.

The Federal Government has temporarily suspended reconstruction work on the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road, directing the contractor handling the project to halt operations and review the pavement mixture specifications being used on the road. Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, gave the directive on Sunday, June 21, 2026, to CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Ltd. during an inspection of the Osun section of the ongoing road reconstruction project.

Umahi, who toured the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa road project alongside federal lawmakers and other stakeholders, instructed the contractor to visit another project site to study the pavement mixture before resuming work. “Go and check that mixture and then resume your work,” the minister said. He also ordered the contractor to slow work on the carriageway and immediately form two teams to focus on constructing the inner and outer shoulders of the road, describing the shoulder works as critical in certain sections.

The minister warned that if the project would not be completed within the stipulated timeframe, he would withdraw the Controller of Works overseeing the project in Osun State. Umahi disclosed that he had previously redeployed several controllers in other states and was prepared to do the same in Osun if necessary. “I have removed a number of controllers in some states, starting with my own state. I am going to make a classroom in my ministry and bring professionals into the classroom. Those I am removing from sites are going to be learning every day. When you pass, we deploy you back to site,” he stated.

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The minister also criticised the issuance of a N2.8 billion palliative certificate to the contractor, saying he had not seen evidence of the work for which the payment approval was granted. “I am on these roads and I have not seen where the palliative was done, but you already gave a palliative certificate of N2.8 billion,” he said. Umahi directed the Controller of Works to withdraw the certificate within 24 hours and ordered the contractor to carry out the palliative work properly. “I don’t want to see any pothole, and the agreement is that you will mill all the failed and cracked sections,” he said. The minister further instructed the contractor to apply binder on the affected sections and emphasised that performance would determine future working relationships. “My friendship is based on the work. I don’t have a permanent friend or a permanent enemy. We have to take responsibility for what the public has asked us to do,” he stated.

Umahi also directed the Controller of Works to remove heavy-duty trucks parked on newly constructed concrete sections of the road within 24 hours, warning that such practices could weaken the pavement structure. “The moment you have those things parked, it generates internal stress on the concrete. You will not see it immediately, but that is the failure of the concrete,” he explained. The minister additionally warned contractors handling solar streetlight installations on the road corridor to suspend the work until the shoulder construction is completed. “Solar lights must be done when we are done. You can’t effectively do the solar lights on the shoulders until you have done the shoulders,” he said.

Despite the concerns raised during the inspection, Umahi commended CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Ltd. for its commitment to the project, noting that the company had continued work despite outstanding payments from the government. “We have not paid them. They are working on 108 kilometres. They have done about 70 kilometres, and they do about one kilometre per day,” he said.

The Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa expressway is a major arterial route linking the South-West and parts of the South-East, and its prolonged deterioration has remained a source of concern for motorists and residents along the corridor. The project was previously awarded to Kopek Construction Company but was terminated due to unsatisfactory progress before being re-awarded to CBC Global, which is deploying concrete pavement technology expected to make the new road last up to 50 years without major rehabilitation.

FG Orders Immediate Halt of Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road Work – Here’s Why