Fourteen months after mounting the saddle, the Muhammadu Buhari’s
administration is yet to kick start its school feeding programme, as no
due diligence was apparently done regarding the feasibility.
In a recent article by columnist, Dele Sobowale in the Vanguard, he wrote
” Those who persuaded Buhari that Nigeria could offer free meals to over
20 million pupils daily and pay N5,000 to over 25 million jobless people
are condemnable liars. I think I know them. Those promises cannot be
fulfilled in 2015-2019. Nigeria will not be rich enough for that. “There
is no such thing as a free lunch.” American Economics Professor, September
1964.
Pointblanknews.com checks reveal that for the programme to be successful
it would need no fewer than 350,000 eggs per day, and no farm in Nigeria
has that capacity to supply such.
It was also learnt that the APC-led federal government had also asked
state governments for a 40 per cent counterpart funding of the project.
Some state Governors are already kicking against the move, among them, Ayo
Fayose of Ekiti state.
Shortly after the administration launched the National Egg Production
scheme and signed N25Billion MoU with TUNS Farms, Osun State for egg
production, as birds eggs is on the import prohibition list.
Despite the agreement, the production still fell short, so the President
hatched a plan to use the scheme to pacify aggrieved party faithful who
feel left out, and a large number of his inner circle. Selected chieftains
were asked to supply bids to import eggs from countries like Ghana, Togo
and Benin Republic.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that the 350,000 eggs needed per day put the
contract sum for importation at several Billions.
The waiver therefore is a violation of the administration’s statute that
prohibits the importation of eggs.
It was also gathered that ex President, Olusegun Obasanjo had lobbied from
the start to be the major supplier of the eggs. But his farms in Ogun,
Delta, and Cross River states can only produce 25,000 within the time
frame.
“The Federal Government is already looking for excuses for the impending
failure of the programme by asking states to contribute 40 per cent to the
scheme,” Fayose had said in a statement.
He said the school feeding programme was purely a contract between the
APC-led Federal Government and Nigerians.
“Were the states consulted before the APC made the promise during the
presidential campaign?” the governor queried.
“How can you make a promise and win election on the basis of that promise
and now expect states to help you to fulfil the promise? That to me is
fraud.”
According to Fayose, Ekiti State and other states in the country deserve
to benefit from the programme without assisting the federal government
with any 40 per cent counterpart funding.
The governor said the APC-led Federal Government should rather blame
itself for failing to do proper study on the practicability of the scheme
before they promised.