On Tuesday, July 4, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum lined up 60 vehicles to convey over 10,000 farmers to their ancestral farms in Damboa local government less than a week after Boko Haram insurgents perpetrated two separate attacks in the area.
Governor Zulum inspected the road and made a stop-over, and dialogued with the military on how the conveyance process would be smooth.
He also said the buses would cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on the farmers.
“You can see thousands of farmers are here; their numbers reached over 10,000, we acknowledge the tremendous support of the Nigeria Army, the police and the paramilitary, but we must review the hardship of these local people,” he said.
The Governor said his visit was not to undermine the efforts of the Nigerian Army but to make things easy for the Borno people in general.
He advised the Army to devise surveillance methods 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, which is never possible.
“I’m urging 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.
“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,” he said.
Zulum, who said he’s aware of the hardship brought by the removal of fuel subsidy, urged the farmers to be patient and endure because “good times are coming soon”.
“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.
“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 would be provided along this road so the farmers would access their farmlands.
“I urge the farmers to give maximum support to the Nigerian Army; they are here to protect you and establish a protocol to ensure your smooth movement,” he said.
