School feeding: Kaduna teachers eating pupils’ food, NGO alleges

Connecting Gender for Development, an NGO yesterday accused teachers in some parts of Kaduna state of taking the rations meant for their pupils.
School Feeding Field Monitors of COGEN, made the accusation at a Town Hall meeting on the federal government’s home grown school feeding programme in Kafanchan, Jema’a local government area of the state.
Speaking at gathering, one of the monitors, Mrs. Rachael Musa, who said “the rations do not usually go around,” explained that though every child was supposed to be given an egg once a week, “the eggs do not usually go round because of short supply.” In a similar submission, another monitor, Mr.
Monday John, also alleged that some politicians had formed the habit of collecting money from food vendors on the ground that they were not members of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
In the same vein, John also said some members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, had equally stopped their children from eating the food, on the ground that such food could be poisoned.
While describing the trend as serious, the NGO urged those involved to stop the act so as not to sabotage the programme.
Assistant Head Teacher, Aduwan III Primary School, Mrs. Esther Gushe, confirmed that eggs were always in short supply in her school.
Also, Desk Officer of the programme in the local government, Mr. Yakubu Kyari, said he received between 300 and 400 crates of eggs weekly, instead of the 730 crates for the 177 schools in the area.
Kyari said teachers eating up food meant for pupils have been warned to desist from the act or risk sanction.
Addressing the meeting, COGEN Head of Programmes, Mr. Ebenezer Omolekun, further said findings by the NGO revealed that one egg was being shared for between two to four pupils in 46 schools, while two pupils shared juice and biscuit in 26 schools.
He explained that COGEN, with support from MacArthur Foundation, was tracking the programme in 60 schools, 20 each in Kaura, Jema’a, and Zangon Kataf local government areas.

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