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By EMMANUEL Sampson
Akwa Ibom State focal person of the National Social Investment Programme, NSIP, Dr. Godwin Akpan, said arrangements has been concluded by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development for the online documentation of school feeding programme for pupils, cooks and food vendors in Akwa Ibom.
Briefing journalists in Uyo over the weekend, Dr. Akpan said the Biometric capturing became necessary to ensure that accountability and transparency is enhanced to have a complete database of cooks/food vendors on the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, (NHGSFP).
“The need to do Biometric capturing is to checkmate fraud, some people say the programme does not exist, we want to ensure that credibility, accountability and transparency is enhanced for effective monitoring of the programme.
“It is believed that after the Biometric capturing, the public will know in certainty the number of pupils that exist per state in those feeding needs. It will also allow government to effectively plan the way forward with the available data.
According to him, the exercise which is to commence on Monday, Nov 1, 2021, in all the 1,165 primary schools in the State, will capture pupils who are in Primary one to three.
“We are looking at about 5,000 food vendors to be engaged in the school feeding programme, where one cook is entitled to about 100 pupils with maximum of 150 per cook,” he disclosed.
Akpan also disclosed that President Buhari has directed that the number of pupils be increased from 9 million to 12 million before his tenure ends in 2023.
The State focal person expressed confidence on the success of the programme urging parents, caregivers to give the needed support to help them record success at the end of the exercise.
Akpan, an accomplished academia, applauded Governor Udom Emmanuel for being committed to ensuring that the children in the state obtain qualitative and free education.
“As you are aware, Akwa Ibom is an education advantage state and His Excellency is not playing politics with education.
He is committed especially his drive to ensuring that Akwa Ibom pupils obtain qualitative education and that why he made it compulsory for children to attend school.”
Speaking on the financial deduction of vendors money, published in one of the local tabloids on Thursday 28th October, 2021, with the caption “Akwa Ibom Ministry of Women Affairs Stinks Over School Feeding programme, Focal Person deducts 20,000 from food vendors account.”
Akpan described the story as a deliberate misinformation, aimed at discrediting the numerous efforts by the APC led administration towards
alleviating poverty. Noting that as drivers of Social Investment Programme, they are saddled with the responsibility of interpreting President Buhari’s vision towards wealth creation.
He further explained that no Social Investment Programme among the running four allows focal persons to interface with people’s money as all monies are paid directly from the office of the Accountant General of the federation.
He appealed to journalists to always cross check facts before going to press, allow ethics of the profession be their guild in their reportage in order not to tarnish people’s reputation which has been earned through hard work, dedication and commitment.
Akpan thanked all stakeholders for their continuous support over the years, saying all hands must be on deck to see ways they can jointly improve the lives of indigent women and children in the society.
He urged people across party lines to take advantage of the social welfare initiative created by the Federal Government to address poverty and help increase economic development for women, youths and children in Nigeria.
