NAN-H-30
Feeding
By Martha Agas
Jos, Feb. 26, 2017(NAN) The Plateau chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has criticised the implementation of the Plateau school feeding programme, and described it as “a mere facade”.
“The programme cannot succeed because it is handled by politicians; the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) is not involved in the implementation,” NUT Chairman, Gunshin Yarlings, said on Sunday in Jos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the school feeding programme, a Federal Government initiative, aims at providing one meal, per school day, to all primary school pupils in Nigeria.
The objective, according to Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, is to improve the health of the children, and also boost their enrollment and retention in the primary schools.
Osibanjo, at the launch of the programme, said that it was part of a N500 billion social investment programme to tackle poverty and improve the health and education of children and other vulnerable groups.
But Yarlings, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), expressed reservations over the manner the programme was being implemented in Plateau.
“From what we have observed, it appears that the programme is being coordinated as a “political compensation” for some people.
“The programme is being handled by chairmen of local government interim management committees who may not know much about such activity.
“SUBEB is in a good position to know the number of pupils in every school; it also knows where we have the most vulnerable segment of the population, but no one has asked for its input.
“Personally, I am saddened by what is happening; good programmes like this one should not be politicised.
“We should be able to sacrifice our personal interest so as to shore up the fortunes of education in view of its place in societal growth,” he said.
He called for a more inclusive approach to avoid running into a brick wall.
“We must all work toward together; all stakeholders must be involved in the prorgramme, otherwise its purpose will be defeated,” he said.
Yarlings, however, commended the management of SUBEB for resuscitating inter school sports, debate and quiz competitions, saying that the step would foster unity, competitiveness and improve standards
Reacting, Mr Dan Manjang, Special Adviser to Governor Simon Lalong on Media and Publicity, described the allegations as “spurious and surprising”.
“Such allegations are strange; the programme has not even taken off and he is already complaining.
“For us, as a government, the most important thing is that the job should be done. Whoever handles it, is not the issue; that is what the NUT should be looking at, and not who is benefiting.
“If at the end of the day the job is not done, Yarlings can have a case, but for now, he should allow the handlers to do their job.”
He said that the jobs were advertised for bidding after which winners emerged.
“The jobs have been given out. The handlers are Plateau people and Nigerians. I do not see what is wrong with that,” he said.
Manjang advised Yarlings to do his job as NUT chairman by pursuing teachers’ welfare “and stop dabbling into areas that do not concern him”. (NAN)
(NAN)
MAA/ECN/ETS
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Edited by Emmanuel Nwoye and Ephraims Sheyin