The Borno State government says it has set up various mechanisms,
including using pupils as spies, to help catch those diverting food
meant for the public school feeding programme.
Governor Kashim Shettima disclosed this when he inaugurated a special
committee to handle an improved feeding of pupils and students across
78 secondary schools in the state.
At the event Mr Shettima said he “plans to engage undisclosed pupils
as spies” who will be sending him messages via telephone and social
media platforms to give hint on the quality of meals being served at
dining halls.
It is not clear if the primary school pupils would be equipped with smart phones and data to carry out the assignment.
The special committee is chaired by the Commissioner for Education,
Musa Kubo, an experienced school administrator, who will be working with
representatives of the Parents Teachers Association, the Nigeria Union
of Teachers and other stakeholders.
Governor Shettima’s decision to engage children as undercover agents
was followed his recent unscheduled visit to a secondary school during
where he went straight to the kitchen only to discover that meals being
served fell short of the standard he prescribed back in since 2012.
Shortly after assuming office as governor, Mr. Shettima increased the
monthly allocation of boarding school pupils’ feeding from N20 million
which he inherited to N100 million.
The 17-member feeding committee is responsible for procurement of
food stuff, distribution to schools, monitoring of cooking and quality
of meals and supervision of efficient distribution of reasonable
portions to pupils.
But the governor said he would not give the committee all the free hand like he did in the past.
“Apart from approving funds, I will also help you to do your job,” he said.
“Do not feel that I am being suspicious. As you all know, I do visit
schools but this time around, I will give some students (you will never
know) my phone numbers to communicate directly with me to give me
regular updates on the quality of meals they are being served
henceforth.
“You as committee members should address the principals and call them
to order. I will urge you to directly procure the foodstuff and give it
to the principals of our respective boarding secondary schools.
“And it is within your mandate to hire and pay the salaries of cooks
where there are shortages of kitchen personnel. I want all of you to
work hard and identify some sacrificial lambs. I want you to deal with
two or three principals who shortchange pupils in their feeding.
“As I have always said, education is very important to the
development of any society and we owe an obligation to humanity, to
posterity to fix public schools in Borno. With the way we are building
schools, some people would feel we are crazy because they forget that
Boko Haram has taken our education backward and created thousands of
school aged out of school children.
“We are buying lands, we are buying premises and building schools on
them and we will make these schools function effectively,” the governor
said.