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The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS said it would mobilise its members across the country for a nationwide protest if the Federal Government continues its school feeding programme despite schools remaining closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq had explained at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 that the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme would continue despite the closure of schools because it was practically impossible to get back the funds that had already been paid to food vendors before the lockdowns in states commenced.
Farouq said the ministry was mindful of the fact that most vendors, having been mobilised, had made purchases preparatory to the project execution, hence it was impossible to ask them for refunds.
“This had been done before the school calendar was disrupted. In light of this, demanding a refund will be cumbersome and unrealistic,” she added.
But in a statement in Abuja, the NANS president, Danielson Akpan said the programme was a misplaced priority and alleged that it was a “discreet attempt to fleece the hard-earned resources of the country.”
Akpan stated: “The national body of NANS, after a deliberate and robust discussion on the Federal Government’s decision to commence the school feeding programme during a virtual meeting held earlier this morning (Friday), vehemently rejected and condemned in totality the said decision.
“We condemn in totality the plan to feed school children at home. We see it as an avenue to perpetuate corruption and fraudulent activities.
“We do not only condemn this, we also frown at any attempt by some people to further loot our national treasury. The continuation of the school feeding programme at this period that schools are closed is sheer fraud.
“If the Federal Government goes ahead to implement the programme, we will have no choice but to mobilise our members across the federation for a mother of all protests.”
The student association president said the source of the proposed N697m to be spent daily, which amount to N13.5bn a month on the programme, must be queried, stressing that the decision was “reckless spending.”
He further called on the Federal government to use the money meant for the execution of the programme to revive the collapsed education system and fund infrastructural projects in institutions.
