The Ministry of Education has disassociated itself from the N2.67 billion school feeding fraud alleged by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Mallam Adamu Adamu, the Education Minister, in a media chat, stated that his ministry does not handle such programmes.
Adamu said it was the Office of the Vice-President and that of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development that are in charge.
“I think you should try to verify this by asking ICPC to give you the evidence, or by asking the Office of the Vice President that was handling school feeding before, or by asking the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development,” Adamu told TheCable.
“The Federal Ministry of Education doesn’t handle the issue.”
Bolaji Owasanoye, ICPC Chairman, had on Monday disclosed that the said sum paid to some federal colleges for school feeding during the COVID-19 lockdown ended up in private bank accounts.
Also Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, said her ministry has no link to the alleged fraud.
Umar Farouq said her ministry is responsible for the feeding of pupils in primaries 1-3 in select public schools across the country under the home grown school feeding programme, not the feeding of college students.
The ICPC later clarified the statement of its chairman.
”The Commission wishes to clarify that the “school feeding” referred to by the Chairman of ICPC was the feeding of boarding students in Federal Government Colleges, who were all at home during the COVID-19 lockdown. This is NOT the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme being managed by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development,” it said.
