The National Association of Polytechnic Students, being an umbrella body for the entire Nigerian Polytechnic students all around the world under the presidency of Comrade Olalere Benedict Adetunji, has in totality, condemn the proposed school feeding program of the Federal Government of Nigeria amidst lockdown.
The President of NAPS, Comrade Olalere Benedict Adetunji who spoke to the pressmen in Ibadan on Friday has frowned against the action of the Federal Government of Nigeria over feeding students from home amidst lockdown, as announced by the Hon. Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Sadiyya Umar Farrouk.
“It should be recalled that the home grown school feeding program (HGSFP) which has been the platform where the presidency is giving daily one square meal diet to the pupils of basic schools in Nigeria, is said not to be the best approach in providing social welfare to the pupils in Nigeria basic schools, based on its modus operandi and the policy behind the program which are not well sustainable enough”. The president said.
He stressed that “The Federal Government hasn’t been accountable of the process so far even when there was no lockdown within the nation, it shouldn’t now be when there’s lockdown and fiercy hunger on the land when the FG will make this plan, rather than focusing more on improving and raising Nigerian education standard”.
The president as well, lamented, the recent Palliatives distribution and conditional cash transfer program by the ministry of Humanitarian affairs who are in charge of this said proposed program, over an unaccountable management, poor database system for distribution and inability of the need to get to those who truly craved for it.
NAPS as a body, on behalf of over 20.1 million Nigerian Polytechnic students all around the world has condemn and reject the proposed program in totality and termed it dead on arrival.
Therefore, NAPS has called on different economy management and anti – Corruption institutions to probe the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs over the programs done so far which are said to be Anti – Humane by the voice of common masses, over gross unaccountability, lack of transparency and filled with mismanagement of the National resources.
It will be better for the Government of Nigeria to give a listening hear to the demand of the second largest students body in Africa and make adequate adjustment in due time to avoid the public display of severe anger by the helpless citizens of Nigeria.