New Telegraph

Controversy trails FG’s School Feeding Programme in Ondo

Vendors: You give us peanuts
You inflated figures of beneficiaries – Govt rep

BABATOPE OKEOWO reports the controversy that is trailing the school feeding programme of the Federal Government in Ondo State as food vendors and the official in charge of the programme bicker over the fund released for the feeding of primary school children.

The school feeding programme of the Federal Government which was launched in the state in 2017 by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has been enmeshed in controversy as the food vendors and the state government’s representative in the project disagree over the sustainability of the programme in Ondo State.

The food vendors engaged for the programme in the state have complained that they were being paid peanuts for the feeding of the children in their care. This, they argued, has made the sustainability of the programme difficult if not impossible. But the Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Intergovernmental Relations, Mrs. Bunmi Ademosu, who is the officer in charge of the Federal Government’s flagship programme, disagreed with the vendors. She accused them of planning to short change the government.

The food vendors, who spoke with New Telegraph, said the money released to them for the feeding of the children is grossly inadequate, making it difficult for them to achieve the target of the government. However, Ademosu accused the vendors of lying saying the vendors inflated the figure of the children being fed daily under the Federal Government programme.

The vendors, who were engaged by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development for the programme in the state, lamented that the money disbursed to them to cook for primary school pupils in the state is grossly insufficient. During the recently conducted biodata capturing exercise in the state, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development had disclosed that over N1.8 billion had been expended on the programme in Ondo State. However, investigation revealed that since the programme commenced in the state about three years ago, it has experienced series of challenges ranging from operation and logistical problems which have threatened its success.

A cross section of food vendors, who spoke under the condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised, said the money collected on weekly basis to cook food for the pupils was no longer practicable with the current market reality. They lamented that they were getting a sum of N12, 000 weekly to take care of between 50 and 70 pupils in some schools.

A vendor said: “The money given to us is not enough compared to the number of students we cook for. To be sincere, the government is giving us eggs for the pupils but the other expenses and items such as stove and gas we use to cook are all expensive. The cost of food ingredients is also not friendly in the market and we have complained but nothing has been done. That is why we give the pupils whatever available.

“As for me, there is no how I will bring fruits for the pupils, how will I do it? So I have ruled out fruits because there is no money available for that.” In Akure South, North, Ifedore and Idanre local government areas, it was observed that the home grown school feeding menu plan for the pupils are no longer being followed as the affected pupils have not been given fruits for over two years.

It was also learnt that some food items such as vegetables are no more given to the pupils while a very small ration of food were being served in schools visited while many food vendors have not been consistent in coming to schools. A head teacher from one of the primary schools in Ifedore Local Government commended the Federal government for the school feeding programme which he said had helped with the enrolment into the school.

He, however, lamented that the food vendors have not been consistent. His words: “At times, when we call the cook, she will tell us money is not dropping into her account. So we want the money to be dropping into their accounts as and when due. “Sometimes, I studied the body language of the pupils.

If the cook is a minute late before she comes, the beneficiaries will go and block the way that she would be coming from. “Eventually, the cook may not come that day. That one is giving us stress by pleading to the pupils and giving them N10 each to get biscuits.

In this light, the money must be paid in time for the cook to deliver. We really appreciate the efforts of the government.” Another head mistress, who spoke with New Telegraph, confirmed that the vendors no longer come for the programme. She said they complained that they were not paid for the programme. She, however, disclosed that some Federal Government officials came from Abuja to meet all school administrators and other stakeholders in respect of the programme. Her words “They said they will bring some forms to be filled by the PTA chairmen and other stakeholders.

They promised to deploy corps members and some national agencies that will come to do physical biometric capturing for the pupils between now and next month. “They said they wanted to add more money for the programme, and until then the programme will continue operation.

“The vendors have not come this term. We have not seen them since we resumed this term. Even last term, they did not come for about two weeks till we went on holiday.” A parent, Mrs Folake Ojo said she did not send her daughter to public school because of the free feeding of the government. She said she did not care if her child eats in school or not as long as she gets a good education. But another parent Mr Dayo Adelanke admitted that he actually withdrew his children from private to public schools because of the promised free feeding. He said the amount spent on afternoon feeding has been converted to transport fare.

He however expressed regret that the programme is no longer available in the school of his children. He appealed to the Federal Government to increase the amount allocated for it so that more people can benefit from the programme. But the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Akeredolu on Multilateral and Intergovernmental Relations and the Ondo State Focal Person on Nigerian Social Investment Programme, Ademosu described the claims as untrue. Ademosu said the food vendors had over the time inflated the number of pupils they claim to feed in many schools hence the need of the on-going biometrics data capturing. Her words: “It is not true.

They are to take care of primary one to three, so if they chose to take care of any pupil out primary one to three, whose headache is that? “There are rules and regulations following school feeding. We don’t pay money from Akure and their money is paid directly into their bank accounts.

“As we speak, the Federal Government is going round and doing biometrics, so if some food vendors are claiming that they are taking 700 pupils and they get to the schools and do biometrics of just five children, will they now say anything again ? “If you don’t have an international passport, will you be allowed to enter any country? So, whatever anyone says now, there is no answer I will give because we keep repeating the same thing. But the result of biometrics will be out and everyone will keep quiet over the whole story.

“There is a school somewhere in Akure North Local government, when a food vendor came to my office and she was yelling and making noise that she had over one hundred pupils, I had to direct two of my officials to visit her school and on getting there, it was discovered that the woman was not even taking care of 30 pupils and had been collecting eggs for over 70 pupils. So they have been giving out wrong information.”

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