Rural dwellers in Borno have urged the Federal Government to ensure sincere implementation of palliatives and utilisation of money to be realised from the removal of fuel subsidy.
A cross section of the rural dwellers mare the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jere, Bama, Konduga, Gwoza and Askira/Uba Local Government Areas of the syate.
They said urgent measures are needed in providing the palliatives and intervention in various sectors to gain public trust.
“We understand the importance of subsidy removal and the advantage as preached by government, but we want honesty by seeing practical steps in areas like agriculture that have direct bearing on masses.
“We saw the impact of subsidy removal on agriculture and other sectors during late Abacha’s administration through Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) headed by Muhammadu Buhari.
“What we want is that sincerity of seeing the impact which was lacking in other subsequent removal of subsidies after that of Abacha,” Malam Habu Ibrahim, a farmer in Jere LGA said.
Alhaji Bunu Jibrilla, a trader in Bama LGA, who spoke on road, said traders in the area who had to travel for businesses to Maiduguri and the border town of Banki would be happy to have good roads.
“We need good road from Maiduguri to Bama and are happy to see that Gov. Babagana Zulum has been working on the federal road for two years now.
“With this subsidy removal, we want to see the commencement of work on the roads from Bama to Banki and Maiduguri to Gamboru/Ngala that are viable for economic development of our people and Nigeria in general.
“Lack of good roads is a disturbing and crippling problem to us and other road users just the way subsidy is to Government. We hope for urgent good roads from the outcome of this subsidy removal,” Jibrilla said.
Ms Rejoice Gadzama and Mr Abdulrahman Yakubu, who are students from Askira/Uba LGA, urged for utilisation of the subsidy funds in addressing the challenges facing the education sector.
They explained that challenges like perennial strike action and rising cost of education occasioned by increased in fees in public tertiary institutions needed to be addressed.
“State governments that are not giving scholarship or bursary to students need to start, while those that are given bursary need to increase it to meet current reality,” Yakubu appealed.
Madam Falmata Buba in Gwoza LGA and Malam Usman Lawan in Konduga LGA who spoke on high cost of medical healthcare in public facilities, urged government to intervene in that sector for quality and affordable healthcare services.
“Health workers and other public servants also deserved reasonable pay to reduce brain drain.
“A well paid public service will provide quality service, reduce poverty and ginger the economy.
“The renewed hope administration of Tinubu need to strengthen the civil service which remain critical in achieving his policies of transforming the nation,” Buba noted.
Meanwhile, the Borno Police Command had summoned a meeting of stakeholders, including all security agencies, organised labour and transporters in the state.
At the meeting, the issue of impending workers strike action over the removal of oil subsidy was discussed and the need to preserve the relative peace being enjoyed in the fragile state after 13 years of insurgency. (NAN)
