By Inusa Ndahi, Maiduguri
PRIOR to the emergence of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum as Executive Governor of Borno state, the man was hitherto the Commissioner of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement when the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima was Governor of the state that has witnessed over a decade Boko Haram crisis.
Governor Zulum took over the mantle of Borno leadership precisely in 2019. With the experience he garnered, Zulum quickly swung into action in providing secured environment resulted into reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of millions of displaced persons back to their liberated ancestral communities with dignity.
The resettlement drive by the Borno State Government herald distribution of food and non-food items to all returnees, in addition to palliatives for the citizenry aimed at cushioning the economic hardship orchestrated by the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.
Surprisingly, Governor Zulum who was in Bama local government area to oversee the return and resettlement of displaced persons in Darajamal and Goniri communities among others came under unnecessary criticism when he announced that his government will buy fuel and subsidize the price at N600 per litre to enable farmers engage into irrigation and dry season farming in order to make them economically self- reliant.
Although, the fuel subsidy announcement and implementation by Governor Zulum is not the first of its kind, as he once announced such gesture in resettled communities of Damasak and Kukawa local government areas where a massive agricultural produce or bumper harvests were recorded.
Misconstruing Zulum’s initiative on Fuel Subsidy while on a 2-Day Visit last week to communities in Bama, some people took to social media by opposing the gesture ignorantly.
According to the governor, a litre of petrol sold between N1,000 and N1,200 in Maiduguri, but to ensure resilience and economic boost amongst people in the newly resettled communities, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) a.k.a Petrol will be subsidised to the farmers at N600 per litre. This is aimed at alleviating the financial burdens faced by farmers in communities that have suffered economic and infrastructural destruction due to years of conflict.
Zulum emphasised that “a similar initiative implemented in Damasak, Mobar Local Government Area, last year and other communities has significantly increased food production and improved livelihoods.
“One of the major challenges that are facing the farming communities as regards irrigation farming is the increasing cost of fuel, as a result, I want to announce to the general public that government will procure petroleum products and sell to the farmers at a subsided rate, a litre of petrol is being sold in Maiduguri at the cost of about N1,200 but Insha Allah, henceforth for irrigation farmers this season a litre of petrol will be sold at the rate of N600,” Zulum said.
Buttressing these stand on fuel subsidy and other palliatives by the present administration, Special Adviser on Media and Spokesman to Governor Zulum, Mallam Dauda Iliya said, most of those opposing the gesture are not conversant with the economic reality as well as the devastations caused by insurgents in all liberated communities in Borno.
The initiative is to support displaced farmers who are recovering from the 15 years of Boko Haram insurgency.
“For more a decade, farmers in Bama Local government, which is one of the most affected by the insurgency, have been taken refuge in IDP camps. However with the relative peace, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum felt that they should be encouraged to go back to farm to start earning their means of livelihood ” Iliya stated.
“We have the data of all the farmers that will be given the fuel subsidy and there will be a dedicated filling station in Bama to prevent any form of abuse where they will receive the consignment. I want to also let you know that a farmer cannot consume more than ten liters in a week”.
Governor Zulum according to his Spokesman want to discourage giving of handouts to returnees which is not sustainable. Such intervention he said, promote all year farming activities which in turn bolster food production in the state.
