Skip to main content

Breaking! Minister Flags off "modified" Homegrown School Feeding Programme in FCT

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Haijia Sadiya Umar Farouq, Thursday flagged off the modified Homegrown School Feeding Programme at Kuje Primary School School in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In attendance at the event included Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Hon. Abdullahi Sabo, the Gomo of Kuje, Alhaji Haruna Tanko, representative of minister of State for FCT and her SA on Social Investment Programme, Mrs Chinwendu Etiaba, Representative of Senator for the FCT, Alhaji Ali Dankaru, among others.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Haijia Sadiya Umar Farouq, said that the Ministry is working with state governments to ensure the programme is a success in different states for 3.1 million households, following President Muhammadu Buhari's directive.

She said: "As we have stated consistently, this programme is funded by the Federal Government but implemented by the states. I am therefore here to flag off the commencement of the modified program in the FCT and to conduct a spot checks of the operations. Hunger is a serious by-product of this pandemic crisis, which is why, from the onset, the Ministry has been evolving strategies to facilitate humanitarian interventions.

"The commencement of the school feeding programme today is based on Mr. President’s directive to the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to liaise with State governments to develop strategies on the continuation of the school feeding programme.

"The Ministry in consultation and collaboration with State governments identified the distribution of Take-Home Rations (THR) to the households of the children on the programme as a feasible method of achieving this directive after exploring several options.

"This is a globally accepted means of supporting children to continue to have access to nutrient rich foods despite disruptions to the traditional channels of school feeding. Beginning today in Abuja, this programme will target parents and guardians of children in primary 1 to 3 in public schools participating in the programme."

She added: "A total of 3.1 million households are targeted for this intervention. Lagos and Ogun states are next ports of call before the programme moves to other states of the federation. As noted earlier we are working with the World Food Programme who are providing technical support while other agencies of government have been invited to provide an extra layer of monitoring.

"They include the DSS, EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau and a host of NGOs and CSOs. The Ministry is using the opportunity of this modified program to collect and verify data with the support of CSOs and NGOs such as ActionAid, BudgIT, Tracka, and CMDA. We are thankful for the support of NGOs including Wimbiz, Waterlight initiative, AU ECOSOC, Orphans and women support initiative, Youth fighters for covid-19, Nigerian red cross, Coalition of NGOs and CSOs against covid-19, Africa global empowerment and development network and a host others supporting the Ministry.

"We are working hard with our partners to mitigate the challenge posed by hunger especially during this trying period. Please be assured that we are focused, determined and committed to cushioning the effects for Nigerians."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Iheukwumere builds house for homeless man in Afikpo

The three-bedroom flat Iheukwumere built for Jaguar A House of Assembly aspirant in Afikpo, Ebonyi state, Mr Iheukwumere Okogwu Otu, has handed over a three-bedroom flat he built for a homeless man in Ezi Agbii, Ukpa, in Afikpo North local government area of Ebonyi state. Iheukwumere, who is the Special Adviser (SA) to Hon. Maria Ude Nwachi, member representing Afikpo North East Constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly (EBHA), made the donation Tuesday during his birthday celebration. In an exclusive chat with Paul Okah Blog , Iheukwumere said that the kind gesture was borne out of the fact that the milk of kindness flowing in his veins could not allow him to bear the sight of the beneficiary, Mr Chukwu Oko (a.k.a Jaguar) being homeless. Iheukwumere said that, despite having limited resources, he dedicated his salary as SA to start the project in 2014, due to the fact that the beneficiary had been sleeping outside with his six children since 2007. He sa...

Don't quit by Edgar Albert Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, when the road you're trudging seems all uphill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit - rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns. As everyone of us sometimes learns. And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow - you may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man; Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup; and he learned too late when the night came down, how close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tint of the clouds of doubt, and when you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems afar; so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - it's when things seem...

Stop inflicting economic hardship on Ebonyians with tax demands, ex-SSG implores Umahi

Former Secretary to the State Government of Ebonyi State, Professor Benard Odoh, has implored the Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, to desist from inflicting economic hardship on Ebonyians. In an open letter he made available to Paulokahblog Friday morning, Odoh said that, "as a way of cushioning the devastating effects of the covid-19 pandemic on Ebonyi’s struggling economy, there is urgent need to jettison the collection of tenement rates/ground rents from landlords, excessive/forceful drive for quarry haulage levies and waiving of personal income taxes".  Odoh regretted that, despite the efforts of the state government in policing its borders against the COVID-19 pandemic, Ebonyi State, as of May 21, has recorded 13 cases and expressed hope that the situation would not get worse in the state in particular and Nigeria in general, even as he pledged support for the state government in ensuring that the active cases are managed successfully "to t...