JUST IN; Governor to subsidise fuel price at N600 per litre

JUST IN; Governor to subsidise fuel price at N600 per litre

Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has introduced a groundbreaking initiative aimed at easing the financial strain on farmers in areas ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Speaking in Bama town on Friday evening, Zulum unveiled a plan to subsidize petrol costs for over 5,000 farmers who had previously been displaced by the insurgency.

The governor revealed that the state will subsidize the price of petrol, which currently sells for between N1,000 and N1,200 per litre in Maiduguri, to N600 for the affected farmers.

This move is designed to alleviate the economic hardship faced by these farmers, many of whom have seen their livelihoods destroyed by years of conflict.

Zulum highlighted the success of a similar initiative in Damasak, Mobar Local Government Area, in the previous year.

The program there had resulted in a significant boost to food production and a marked improvement in the economic conditions of the local population.

By addressing the cost of fuel, which is vital for agricultural activities such as irrigation and transportation, the state government aims to restore some semblance of normalcy and economic stability to these war-torn communities.

“One of the major challenges that are facing the farming communities here 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 subsidised rate. A litre of petrol is being sold in Maiduguri at the cost of about N1,200 but in’shAllah, henceforth for irrigation farmers, this season, a litre of petrol will be sold at the rate of N600.

“The Commissioner for Agriculture will work with the Brigade Commander to ensure the delivery of the petroleum products to farmers in Bama town as soon as possible,” he said.

Governor Zulum has taken significant steps to support local agriculture, alongside his administration’s petrol subsidy program. Recently, he distributed essential farm inputs, including 2,000 bags of blended NPK fertilizer, 1,000 water pumps, and 620 gasoline pumps.

The distribution also covered 380 solar-powered water pumps, 1,000 sprayers, 800 rolls of 2-inch flexible hose, and 1,000 liters of pesticides and seeds, among various other farming supplies.

Further enhancing agricultural support, Zulum highlighted his administration’s construction of over 100 tube wells to assist irrigation farmers, with plans already in motion for an additional 250 wells.

In a recent visit to Darajama and Goniri villages in Bama Local Government Area, the governor inspected the ongoing reconstruction efforts.

While he expressed satisfaction with the progress, Zulum reiterated his commitment to ensuring the success of the resettlement initiatives, warning against any attempts to disrupt these efforts.

He also took a moment to thank the federal government for its vital role in supporting his administration’s reconstruction and resettlement programs, aimed at revitalizing communities affected by insurgency.