LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin
Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, has described the school feeding programme of the present Federal government as a fraud.
Speaking on the sideline of the flag off of 2019 campaign of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bode Saadu in the Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, the member representing Baruten/Kaiama federal constituency of the state contended that the Ministry of Education should be in charge of the programme as against the Presidency.
“As far as I am concerned, it is a fraud. It is a fraud because it is not domiciled in the right place. The Ministry of Education should be in charge instead it has been taken to the Presidency.
“I have said it without number that the budgetary provision for the school feeding programme should be domiciled in the Ministry of Education. The Federal Ministry of Education has the resources, the manpower to be able to monitor it. But where it is located now is a fraud. Many people are angry that Kwara is not benefitting. For me, whether Kwara benefits or not from it, it is a programme I never believed in,” he said.
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Talking on the chances of his party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar against the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, the PDP chieftain said that heaven would not fall when Atiku Abubakar wins the race.
“It has happened before. Buhari unseated Jonathan and heaven did not fall. Buhari will be unseated as well. APC should not believe in the euphoria of the 2015 elections. In 2015, a lot of factors were responsible for that victory. Most of those states that they took then will never follow them now. What have been the achievements of Buhari?
“I am from Kwara State and his government has only brought hunger in the last three and a half years in this state. Why then will my people vote for him?”
On his expectations during the forthcoming general elections, Mohammed, who is the Kwara North senatorial candidate of the PDP in the election, said that he was hopeful because he was in a usual terrain.
“What I have going for me is that I have been elected twice as House of
Representatives member. My scope has expanded now to five local governments.
I have been going around the entire local government areas of Kwara North. Of course, the voters will have to choose between a person who has the requisite experience and a greenhorn and a rookie. He has never been tested. Because my opponent has never been a councillor and I am sure they will vote for me.”
He also said that the PDP governorship candidate in the election, Razak Atunwa, has a bright chance, adding that “a man that has not been tested cannot be the governor of Kwara State. Atunwa has been tested both at the legislative and executive levels. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of the APC has not been tested at both legislature and executive. He is just a businessman. Business is not the same thing as governance. What makes economic sense does not make political sense. The people of Kwara had better be wise and forget about perennial politicians and face those they have been living with.”