Why I Decided To Support FG’s School Feeding Programme -Fayose

MICHAEL AKINOLA

After his vehement opposition to the ongoing federal government’s national homegrown school feeding policy in some states across Nigeria, Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has made a sudden turnaround to embrace and praise the programme.

The governor Thursday in Ado Ekiti made a volte face and declared the state readiness to support the programme and allow hundreds of thousands of Ekiti school children, caters and farmers benefit from the programme already running in many states.

According to Fayose, following a feedback from government’s agencies that studied the school feeding policy, the programme would be of immense benefit to the people of the state.

He also said the study has shown that the programme was in tandem with the state’s stomach infrastructure policy.

“The study revealed the potentials of the programme to improve the nutrition status of the pupils, increase schools’ enrollment and attendance, energise the local economy and empower certain segments of the population. Above all, we also noted that it is in tandem with our stomach infrastructure policy,” declared Fayose, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola at a two-day stakeholders’ workshop for the take-off of the programme in the state.

Fayose had vowed that the state would not participate in the programme, saying it was a campaign promise made by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC during the presidential campaign which must be fulfilled by the party.
“We have decided to set political differences aside and partner with the federal government for the benefits of our pupils. Our participation will be a boost to our efforts to restore the glory of education in our dear state.”

The governor, while calling on all stakeholders to ensure diligent implementation of the programme, also promised that the state would give all the needed support to actualize the collective goal of feeding the pupils.

The Team leader of the programme from the Office of the President on National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, Mrs. Abimbola Adesanmi, said the programme had been introduced in 21 states adding that the programme would improve the health and nutrition of children as well as improve the local production of agricultural products in the state.

“It is the plan of the federal government that all states key into the programme for the benefit of all our children in public primary schools.”

The school feeding programme was set up by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

In a statement released early this week by the Presidency, it was noted that Federal government is now close to its target of feeding three million primary school children in 2017, under the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme.

“In fulfillment of its plan to ramp up the Social Investment Programmes (SIP), this year, the Buhari administration is now close to its target of feeding three million primary school children this year under the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, one of its four ongoing SIP schemes.

“Specifically, at the last count, a total of N6,204,912,889 has been paid out to 14 states during the school year ending August 2017.

“The 14 states that have been covered under the School Feeding programme are Anambra, Enugu, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Delta, Abia, Benue, Plateau, Bauchi, Taraba and Kaduna.

“So far, a total of 2,827,501 school children are currently benefiting from the School Feeding Programme, which is well on course to achieve the Federal Government’s projection to feed over three million pupils this year.”

Also according to the statement, over 33,000 cooks have been employed.

“In total, 33,895 cooks have been engaged in the communities where the schools are located across the 14 states.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that it was Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser to the president on political matter and indigene of the state who put pressure on Governor Fayose to look into the benefit accruable to millions of Ekiti people and embrace the laudable programme.

It was gathered that the top presidential aide, who many are rooting for in the race for who will succeed Fayose in 2018, had to plead with the acting president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and prominent Ekiti citizens to impress it on Governor Fayose to put politics aside and embrace various Federal Government life-changing programmes including nPower and CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Programme.

But speaking in a post on his social media platform on Fayose’s volte face, Senator Ojudu commended the governor for allowing reasoning to prevail. “Congratulations Governor Ayo Fayose for finally bowing to voice of reason. Congratulations to the pupils, parents, caterers and farmers of Ekiti who are going to be beneficiaries of this programme. The welfare of our long suffering people should be of paramount concern to all of us than petty politics,” Ojudu stated.