In line with H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in ensuring more than 10 million Nigerian Children are fed and properly nurished , Dr. Yetunde Adeniji, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on School Feeding was mandated to conduct a fact finding mission into the incident involving 18 pupils purportedly poisoned on the 12th of December 2023, in Oshogbo, Osun State, under the state government’s Home Grown School Feeding ( O-MEALS) program.
Welcomed by the entire O-MEALS program team, led by His Excellency Governor Ademola Adeleke, represented by Deputy Governor Prince Kola Adewusi, the team discovered during their visit to St James RCM Primary School in Owo-ope, Osogbo, that the purported incident was largely misrepresented.
Deputy Governor Adewusi stated, "This incident on Monday, December 12th, 2023, was a clear case of Misinformation. Unfortunately, such occurrences are not uncommon in governance at any level."
Hon. Grace Oluwaseyi Ayodele, the SA to the governor on Home Grown School Feeding, shared this perspective, highlighting the need to discern between genuine concerns and orchestrated misinformation.
O-MEALS State Coordinator, Mrs. Olufunke Adesigba, provided insights into the guidelines ensuring proper health measures for the school feeding program. She emphasized that all cooks undergo routine checks for tuberculosis and relevant medical examinations to guarantee the well-being of the students.
Chief Medical Director, Teaching Hospital Osogbo Prof. Peter Babatude Olaitan who said 32 pupils were brough into the hospital with two busses and all these students was singing and dancing but we went ahead to carry out necessary medical test, our report shows 31 pupils were diagnosed with no health issues and returned immediately, one was diagnosed of malaria which proper medication was given and discharged the following day.
HM of the school, Olutola Rasheedat Adenike, affirmed that the case was simply disinformation and purportedly fabricated.
While reiterating Mr. President’s commitment to the nourishment and wellbeing of our children in public schools, Dr. Yetunde Adeniji, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on School Feeding, emphasized that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) remains
committed to school feeding programs as part of his 8-point agenda and will not leave any state unattended to, with plans to feed 10 million children across the country.
Dr. Yetunde Adeniji urged schools to remain vigilant against sharp practices as relates to the quality and hygine of the meals served. She emphasized that the meals served in schools must be of very high standards. She further stated that the federal government under her office would be establishing a monitoring and Evaluation unit to ensure continued commitment to the safety and success of school feeding programs across the country. She rounded up by stating that in the coming days, her office would roll out policies across the federation in order to standardize school feeding programs in Nigeria, amongst other sweeping reforms.
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