By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Borno state government has subsidised sales of petrol to farmers in communities affected by Boko Haram insurgency in Bama local government.
The governor of Borno said a litre of petrol sold between N1,000 and N1,200 in Maiduguri will be subsidised to the farmers for N600 to alleviate the financial burdens faced by farmers in communities that have suffered economic and infrastructural destruction due to years of conflict.
Governor Babagana Zulum announced the subsidy in Bama town when he flagged off the distribution of farm inputs to over five thousand farmers hitherto displaced by Boko Haram insurgents.
Reports has it that farm inputs distributed to farmers in the area include two thousand bags of NPK blend fertiliser, one thousand units of water pumps and sprayers, six hundred and twenty gasoline pumps.
Other materials were three hundred and eighty units of solar water pumps, six hundred twenty units of gasoline pumps, eight hundred rolls of 2-inch flexible hose, and one thousand litres of pesticides and seeds, among other items.
According to the Governor, a litre of petrol sold between N1,000 and N1,200 in Maiduguri will be subsidised to the farmers for N600 to alleviate the financial burdens faced by farmers in communities that have suffered economic and infrastructural destruction due to years of conflict.
Governor Zulum emphasised that a similar initiative implemented in Damasak, Mobar Local Government Area, last year has significantly increased food production and improved livelihoods.
He said the Commissioner for Agriculture would work with the Brigade Commander to ensure the delivery of the petroleum products to farmers in Bama town as soon as possible.
The Governor added that his administration has constructed over one hundred tube wells for use by irrigation farmers while also announcing the approval for the construction of additional two hundred and fifty .
Shehu of Bama Umar Ibn Kyari Ibrahim Elkanemi appreciated the state authorities for the continued support to the resettled residents of Bama and other communities in his emirates and beyond.
Meanwhile, the Governor’ also visited Goniri villages, another community overran by the insurgents in Bama Local Government to assess the the devastation preparatory to commence reconstruction of the community.
