Some Nigerians have expressed dissatisfaction over Nigeria’s school feeding program describing it as a scam. Mr. Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria Vice President launched the program at Abuja, the country’s capital.
At the launch, the Nigerian government said the scheme is part of the N500 billion Social Investment Program to address poverty, improve the health and education of children and other vulnerable groups.
The state claims it targets 24 million school children and has paid N6, 204,912,889 to 14 states in August last year.
The program appears to be a huge scam interview conducted by this newspaper shows. Persons interviewed in Enugu and Imo states both in southeastern Nigeria said there is nothing to show regarding the federal government school program in their state.
In Imo state, Mr. Otunne Steve told this newspaper that there is no school feeding program going on in his state. I know children that attend public schools in Owerri and they are not fed and have not been fed any day by any government he told our reporter.
Mr. Steve challenged the Nigerian government or its agents to publish any school in Imo state, the address, and location where the program is taking place for verification.
Mr. Epsilon Delta who is an Enugu resident said there is no school feeding program in his state. I am yet to see any school being fed by the federal government in Enugu state he told MAWA Foundation.
In Ilorin, headquarters of Kwara, a state in north-central Nigeria, Mrs. Zainab Balogun, the Head of Research and Statistics Unit, Kwara Ministry of Education, Speaking to a local newspaper Premium Times said, the implementation of school feeding programme was underway in the state and has not commenced. Although she said forms have been given out and interviews are being conducted for the food vendors in preparation for takeoff.
Our reporter spoke to clusters of parents and teachers in Ilorin, and they confirmed that the federal government has not started any school feeding programme in the state. Mr. Oni, one of the parents our reporter spoke to said, we are hearing about the program but in reality, there is nothing like that in Ilorin yet. And if they say there is they should show us the evidence.
Mr. Kunle Oye, Chairman, Parents Teachers Association, Gaa-Akanbi Primary School, told Premium Times a local newspaper that no pupil in Kwara had benefited from the federal government school programs.
News Agency of Nigeria, a government-owned media investigation showed that there is no school feeding program in Ekiti, a state in south-western Nigeria. Although, Mr. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka the state Deputy Governor said Mr. Ayo Fayose the Governor had approved the state’s participation in the program but was not sure when the program will commence.
In Rivers, a state in the south-south part of the country, Mr. Nwankwo Ndukwu, spokesperson, Rivers state chapter, Nigerian Union of Teachers NUT said the program is yet to commence in the state and pleaded with the federal government to extend the program to the state.