ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A soldier, who has dedicated his service to Nigeria and recently completed a year of training in Maiduguri, Borno State, has descriedl exorbitant transport fares preventing him from reuniting with his family during his official break.
In a video shared by Somto Okonkwo, the soldier expressed his frustration in Pidgin, highlighting that his monthly income of N50,000 falls short of covering the cost of a bus fare to his hometown.
Upon reaching the park, he discovered that the fare to travel to his destination amounted to N35,000, and an additional N35,000 would be needed for the return journey, totaling N70,000. This far exceeds his entire monthly salary.
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“As I comot for bush now, na im I reach park. They tell me say from here to my town, na N35,000,” lamented the Nigerian Army trainee in the video shared on Wednesday morning.
“Naim me I come calculate am, going and coming back that’s N70,000. And na N50,000, naim be my salary wey dem pay me for this month. I no get option again o, I dey go back to bush.”
Given the surge in transportation costs, exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy announced by President Bola Tinubu on 29 May, 2023, the soldier finds himself with no alternative but to spend his break at the military training base.
This situation reflects the broader challenges faced by underpaid soldiers grappling with economic hardships amid rising living costs.