From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has said the Federal Government would ensure transparency in the federal school feeding programme.
Speaking at Ahieke Community Primary School, Ndume and Ugba Primary School, Umuahia North LGA, Abia State, Farouq said it was for this reason her Ministry was embarking on verification exercise for the programme.
Represented by the leader of the verification team, Mrs Florence Ngozi Chukwu Ude, the minister explained: ‘ware here to verify the number of pupils being fed in Abia State; to verify and validate the data.’
The minister disclosed that over nine million pupils are presently benefiting from the national home school feeding programme while five million more were being targeted in the scheme, noting that the Federal Government was executing the initiative in collaboration with Abia and other states across the nation.
She noted that many agencies like the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and other concerned offices were taking part in the verification and validation exercise.
She informed that about 197,140 pupils drawn from 1,030 public schools in Abia State are being fed by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management.
The programme manager of the home school feeding programme in Abia State, Gabriel Ahuruonye, hailed the synergy between the Federal Government and Abia State.