Fuel subsidy: Zulum releases 80 luxurious buses, pick-up vans to farmers

Oredola Adeola

Babagana Zulum, the Governor of Borno State, has released 80 buses and pick-up vans to provide free transportation for farmers from their communities to farmlands, as part of palliative measures being put in place to reduce the high cost of living caused by the withdrawal of fuel subsidy, help farmers save money on transportation costs and increase their productivity by providing easy access to their farmlands.

The Borno State Governor unveiled the buses to the beneficiaries on Tuesday, in Maiduguri, the state capital.

According to him the 80 means of transport will comprise 50 luxurious buses to be allocated from the fleet of the Borno Express Corporation, a state-owned transport company, while the state 30 pick-up vans will be hired and provided by the state government.

He said, “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 subsidies which although 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,” Zulum said.

The Governor further encouraged the farmers to cooperate with soldiers, police and other security agencies who will be deployed to roads to monitor and to protect the citizens including farmers who go to the outskirts to access their farmlands.