President Abdel Fattah El Sisi was the center of attention on the airwaves last night after he appeared in military uniform at the inauguration of a new military command center east of the Suez Canal.

El Sisi’s visit is confirmation that the Armed Forces have a tight grip on matters in the Sinai Peninsula, say both Hona Al Asema’s Lamees Al Hadidi (watch, runtime: 6:47) and lesser half Amr Adib (watch, runtime: 4:57).

The president donned his military uniform as a sign of support for troops on the ground, journalist Emad El Din Adib told Lamees (who also happens to be his sister in-law). Al Shorouk Editor in-Chief Emad El Din Hussein and the former head of the army’s morale division, Samir Farag, called to say that they expect the military to conclude its anti-terror operation in Sinai soon (watch, runtime: 56:50). Farag and Hussein also spoke to Masaa DMC’s Eman El Hossary (watch, runtime: 2:14).

An in-progress development plan for Sinai should be fully implemented and complete by 2022, Ittihadiya spokesperson Bassam Rady told Yahduth fi Masr’s Sherif Amer. The Housing Ministry and military’s Engineering Authority alone are executing EGP 275 bn-worth of projects, he added (watch, runtime: 5:35).

Meanwhile, school students in Port Said will be singing out the army’s anthem every morning for a week, Governor Adel Al Ghadban told El Hossary, explaining that he hopes it will allow the students to connect better with the troops fighting in Sinai (watch, runtime: 3:58).

Also on the airwaves last night:

• State officials and MPs will meet on 28 February to resume discussion of a mandatory insurance scheme for private-sector employees, MP and labor union secretary Mohamad Wahaballah told Lamees (watch, runtime: 56:59)
• Orla Guerin’s two-part documentary for the BBC on human rights in Egypt uses “unreliable” and “contradictory” sources, State Information Services head Diaa Rashwan told Masaa DMC’s El Hosary (watch, runtime: 15:02). Al Hayah Al Youm’s Tamer Amin echoed similar thoughts (watch, runtime: 5:42).
• The families of the victims of a building collapse that killed 12 in Cairo’s Manshiet Nasser district appeared on Yahduth Fi Masr with Sherif Amer to discuss the incident (watch, runtime: 4:11).
• The Antiquities Ministry is planning three overseas exhibitions of Ancient Egyptian artefacts in March, including one in the US, minster Khaled El Anani tells Kol Youm’s Adib (watch, runtime: 47:48).
• Members of Al Wafd appeared on Hona Al Asema to tell Lamees more about the party’s internal rift (watch, runtime: 36:51).