Maiduguri farmers say the free bus rollout plan is not working properly and many have to pay tricycle riders to take them to and from their lands.

Farmers have criticised the Borno State governor’s bus rollout plan, saying it is not working properly, they are not able to access their lands and have to pay tricycle riders which is costing them a fortune.

It’s the harvest season and farmers say it is imperative that they get to their crops before they’re destroyed by insects.

In July, governor Babagana Zulum gave the farmers access to 50 buses that had been commissioned from the state’s transport company, the Borno Express Transport Corporation, and the government also hired 30 pick-up vans to transport farmers to and from their lands.

On July 1 the fuel subsidy was withdrawn which resulted in skyrocketing petrol price hikes, leaving most Nigerians gasping for breath and unable to afford even basic commodities. Transport fares soared.

Zulum’s plan was to allow free access to the buses and vans so that farmers could get to and from their lands without having to spend the little money they had on transport.

The buses and vans commissioned by the government would pick up the farmers at 6am and fetch them at 2pm to take them back home.

But farmers in Fariya community told RNI that they were struggling to access the free rides, complaining that farmers in the Mashidimami community were able to use the buses and vans. They said that if they did manage to get transport, it often arrived hours after the 6am deadline and they were often picked up long after the 2pm deadline.

Some farmers said because they could not access to their lands by bus, they were forced to use tricycle riders whom they had to pay.

Falmata Adam, who lives in the Sulumri Bakin Kwalta Camp, said: “In July, the government arranged to have 80 vehicles at the disposal of farmers whose lands were on the outskirts of the Maiduguri Metropolis. The transport would be given free to all farmers. It was the government’s way to try to mitigate the high cost of fares after the fuel subsidy was withdrawn. But there are still many farmers who are not able to use the buses and vans and they must pay to be driven to their lands.”

Abba Isa, who also lives in the Fariya community, has farmland within Ma’asu and Ngudda. He said the government did not provide buses for farmers in the Abbaganaram and Addamari communities.
“Most of us here in the Fariya community have farmlands on the outskirts of the Maiduguri Metropolis and we have to pay to get to our farms. Because of the exorbitant hike in transport fares, we don’t go to our lands every day. This has caused problems for all of us because our produce is being destroyed by insects.

“We are in the harvesting period now. We need vehicles to get us to our lands. I am pleading with the government to provide enough vehicles for all of us.”

Yashuwa Bulama Abba, a farmer from Mashidimami internally displaced persons’ camp, said: “We go out early so that the driver will pick us up at 6am, but most times he only picks us up at 10am. And when we are supposed to be driven back to the camp, we are left stranded, starving and exhausted until 4pm, sometimes even 5pm.

“The drivers also will not allow us to get on to the bus with all our firewood and the produce we need for food at home. So, we have to pay for private tricycle owners to transport our goods.”
Yashuwa said another issue was that the buses and vans did not drop farmers off at their lands.

“Only when the driver reaches the drop-off point will he stop the vehicle. This means that many of us have to trek back to our farmlands or, for those who can afford it, catch a ride on tricycles. It can be costly and most of us cannot afford it. So, we just trek.”

Yashuwa said the government had to come up with a better solution “to ease our hardship caused by the subsidy removal”.
Grema Zannah Kyari, the general manager of Borno Express Transport Corporation, told RNI that there were 50 buses and 30 pick-up vans available to take farmers in Maiduguri to their lands on the outskirts of the city.

“Each bus carries about 50 farmers. The drivers pick them up at 6am and fetch them at 2pm. If we get information from security operatives about insecurity in a certain place, we have to reschedule the time for them to be brought back to the city. We notify the drivers and they usually fetch the farmers at about 12pm.”

Kyari said that number of farmers exceeded the regulated number of people who could ride in the vehicles.
“There are hundreds of farmers. For that reason, we have to do the rides in two batches. The first batch leaves at 6am and the next batch has to wait until the first batch have been dropped at their farmlands.”

Kyari said that not all the passengers farmed in the same location.

“It’s impossible for the driver to stop for every farmer at his or her land. If we stopped at every farm, we would waste other farmers’ time. That is why we decided to do it in two batches. Those left behind after the first batch just have to wait for the second batch.

“We have certain drop-off and pick-up points. If we had to drop off and pick up each farmer at his or her land, we would be on the road the whole day. That’s why we have designated points where the farmers can gather to go to their lands and return home.”

Kyari said he had checked the locations where the drivers picked up and dropped off farmers – such as Baga, Custom, Damboa, Muna, Dalori and Molai, among others.

“I made sure that the farmers were taken to their lands. I can assure you no one is left behind.”

He said each farmer was allowed to carry only one bag.

“We don’t allow more than one bag because the bus or van will become too congested. The driver makes a stop three times within 1km to drop off the farmers. He continues to do that until his final stopping point. Then he turns back to pick up the second batch of farmers.

“We cannot afford to fulfil all the farmers’ wishes. We need to unite and appreciate the efforts made by the government to help the farmers.”

FALMATA MOHAMMED ALI