Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno state has released 60 vehicles to transport farmers who are farming in the outskirts of Maiduguri metropolis and other Local Government areas.
Zulum announced this on Tuesday when he was addressing farmers at Molai in Maiduguri.
He noted that the buses would help in reducing the negative effect of fuel subsidy on farmers in the state.
According to him,” We are here purposely to support the farmers, you can see thousands of them have gathered, and their numbers can reach up to 100,000. Due to the removal of fuel subsidy, which, although it has a long-term benefit, the cost of transportation has increased.
“Therefore, Borno State Government has decided to provide 50 buses (and 30 pick-up vans) to convey farmers to their farmlands this rainy season”.
“We acknowledge the tremendous support of the Nigeria Army, the police, and paramilitary, but we must review the hardship of these local people.”
“I am here not to undermine the effort of the Nigerian Army but to make things easy for the generality of people of Borno State. For this, the Nigerian army should devise methods of surveillance to reduce the hardship.
“Rainy season has a short span, a maximum of three months, screening each and sundry would take at least four hours, and this is never possible.
Governor Zulum urged the Nigerian Army to look into the possibility of allowing the farmers to go into their farmlands to farm on time because food insecurity is the worst form of insecurity.
He added that “we must address the challenges of insecurity, the root causes of insecurity which include poverty, infrastructural deficit, climate vulnerabilities and so on. So, we should allow these farmers access to their farms”.
“The administration, under the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and indeed Vice-President Kashim Shettima, is here to provide dividends of democracy. We might face some challenges now, but at a later stage, we shall be enjoying.
“In order to ease the suffering of the farmers, the state government has decided to provide buses that would convey the farmers to their farmlands at no cost during this year’s rainy season.
“Here, on this major road – Maiduguri -Damboa – 15 buses are provided, and 30 other commercial buses are provided to provide employment opportunities for transport unions in the state. A total of sixty vehicles, luxuries and buses would be provided along this road so the farmers would access their farmlands.
“I want to urge you (farmers) to give maximum support and cooperation to the Nigerian Military. They (soldiers) are here to protect you”, The Governor said.