FG spends N49bn to feed pupils in two years -Presidency

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The Presidency on Thursday said the Federal Government has spent N49bn on the feeding of primary school pupils under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, a component of the government’s Social Investment Programme, in the last two years.
The Special Adviser to the President on NSIP, Mrs. Mariam Uwais, disclosed this to journalists in Abuja.

Uwais said 8, 596,340 pupils were currently being fed in 46,247 public primary schools in 24 states.
The 24 states, according to her, include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara.

The presidential aide said through the programme, 90,670 Nigerians had been engaged and empowered as cooks while over 100,000 local farmers had also been linked with the programme to supply locally sourced farm produce.
She said, “We have created a value chain with significant economic benefits to the microeconomic development of the states.

“The value chain offers additional benefits of job creation and increased livelihood outcomes for both cooks and small holder-farmers, hence improving livelihood and the local economies.”
Uwais noted that government was having challenges with the implementation of the school feeding programme in Niger and Benue states.

She said already some officials in the programme in the two states have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the investigation and prosecution.

“The National Social Investment Office is ably empowered to suspend the programme in any state where the prescribed standard is reported to have fallen below expectation until a redesigned and realignment is achieved,” the presidential aide noted.

Uwais said the government has achieved 30 percent improvement in school enrollment in the country since the commencement of the programme.

She said while the Federal Government budgeted and appropriated N500bn for the 2016 fiscal year and the same amount in 2017, only about N140bn was released in 2017 while N80bn was accessed in 2016.


Other components of the SIP are N-Power, National Cash Transfer Project, and Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme.

Punch

Agege LG Boss, Egunjobi Bestows Scholarship On Indigent Pupil

Agege Pulse Magazine

In what would be regarded as a show of kindness and love of the less privileged, the Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government, Alhaji Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi today, bestowed scholarship on one Precious Awobokun.

The beneficiary is a pupil of Agege Local Government Playing Center Nursery and Primary School situated inside Maternity Health Centre, Agege.

Agege Pulse learnt that Precious is one of the most brilliant students of the school but being an indigent student, she's struggling to acquire stationery and other schools needs.

Precious situation was made known Egunjobi through her teacher and after due consultations, the youthful LG Boss decided to pour milk of kindness on her with the scholarship.

It was learnt that the scholarship which covers free education from Basic One to Six, entails provision of free school uniforms, text books, sandals, books and other stationery.

Agege Pulse further learnt that the beneficiary reside at Olugboso Street, Ward G, Agege.

HON. J.S BABATUNDE SHOWERS MILK OF KINDNESS ON CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

As able bodied individuals continue to demand for social and infrastructural developmental projects from the government, the Executive Chairman of Orile Agege LCDA, Hon. Johnson Sunday Babatunde has extended his dividends of democracy beyond them.

Hon. Babatunde, yesterday, visited Okusanya Memorial Primary School, Orile Agege with two Wheel Chairs and Bundles of Adult Diapers as contribution to the well-being of the special children.

Malik Ishola and Alimot Ishola who are siblings of the same parents were presented with the two wheelchairs while other relief materials were presented to management of the school.

Also, the chairman presented the mother of the pupils with a cash gift and temporary job urging her to utilise it as a start-up capital for petty trading.

According to the council boss, the development, most especially the wheelchair, is a move to make live easier for the pupils and for them to be able to relate with their counterparts without hindrance.

Leader of Orile Agege LCDA Legislative Arm,  Hon. Wale Fayemi, the Deputy Leader, Hon. Akinola Azeez, Hon. Otunba Ibrahim Ishola Obanla and other management staff were among the Chairman's entourage to the school.