Canoe paddlers in Maiduguri metropolises of Borno State are currently raking in daily profits following increasing water levels that have displaced many residents and divided communities
Our correspondent, who toured the waterways on Saturday, gathered that the price of boarding a canoe to cross from one community to another inside Maiduguri town ranges between 30 naira, 50 Naira, 100 naira, and 200 naira, depending on the location and time
The locations include Moduganari, Fori, Polo, Bulumkutu areas and a few others
Speaking with one of the paddlers, Abdullahi Muhammad, who conveys people between Moduganari and Damboa road, said the flood, though bad, serves as an economic opportunity to unemployed youths
“We are not happy that the flood is hindering people from moving freely; however, it is an opportunity we are just taking advantage of to better our lives”
He said daily, they earn between 10,000 naira and 20,000 naira, depending on the activities of the day
“On workdays like from Monday to Friday, we earn between 10,000 and 20,000 naira. While on weekend days, we amount are usually smaller,” he said
Another paddler in Bulumkutu, Shaibu Garba, said their operations have assisted many residents who are displaced and those seeking to move between communities
“We assist those affected by the flood in packing their loads and those crossing from one area to another”, he said
He added, “Look at us here, I am not the only one paddling, we are doing an exchange, and at the end of the day, all of us will go home with something. Some of us here are married, so what we get here will not only serve ourselves alone, but also our family”
“This is the situation with many canoe points in the town. You will see youths gathered, exchanging paddles between themselves and at the end of the day, they will share the total amount of money gotten among themselves,” he added
Meanwhile, the passengers expressed satisfaction with the pricing, saying it is the only alternative for reaching their destination
“If I choose not to use this canoe, it simply means I will go and follow where I will spend five times what I will spend to cross, and my time will be wasted. So for me, the price is good,” said Hauwa Saidu
Another passenger in the Moduganari area, Usman Salisu, however, lamented the price variations
“The prices in all the areas are not uniform. The worst is that there at times when if you arrive at a late hour, you will pay an extra the normal amount. Here in Moduganari, two days ago, my brother paid 200 naira around 9 pm just to cross a road, the canoe will not even spend three minutes crossing,” he said
Speaking on the risk involved, another commuter, Mustapha Suleiman, expressed fear that the absence of life jackets poses a serious risk to children as they prepare for school resumption
“This is even fair for us as adults, when school fully resumes now, come to this very spot in Moduganari, you will see primary school pupils crossing with it. The danger is, imagine if this thing capsizes, it will become a disaster because the children cannot swim”
“It has happened many times, this boat does capsize while crossing, but thank God, the few times we have witnessed, only adults are mostly inside, and because the water is in a populated area, youths will just go in and rescue them”
Similarly, a Private school teacher who preferred to be simply identified as Blessing noted said there is a possibility that the water will continue to rise
“School will resume soon, and as a teacher, I will have to wake up every morning to cross with the canoe so that I won’t arrive late. This is exactly what we witnessed last year before the flood suddenly came on the 10th”
Meanwhile, the state government has called for calm and urged residents to desist from dumping refuse into drainage systems
The governor of the state, Babagana Zulum, who made the call recently during an inspection of the ongoing reconstruction work at Alau Dam near Maiduguri, stated that there was no cause for alarm over any possible devastating flood due to overflow from the Dam.
“As of now, based on the engineering knowledge we have, we concluded that there is no cause for alarm,” Zulum stated.
“However, nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, we are working and shall continue to monitor this programme. The contractor is doing a good job,” he assured
