July 13, 2016
By Ijendu Iheaka
The Abia State government on
Wednesday said that the state’s school lunch programme was a pilot project to
test if it would be practiced in all schools.
The State's Commissioner for
Education, Prof. Ikechi Mgboji who said this in an interview with newsmen in
Aba on Wednesday, noted that it would be wrong for people to create the
impression that it was a full-scale project.
The commissioner noted that the
continuation of the project would be determined by the “logistics” surrounding
the implementation of its pilot phase.
He said that the pilot project was
directed only at six schools, with two schools taken from each of the three
senatorial zones of the state.
“The programme is a pilot project.
It is not as if you go to every school now, their children are being fed. We
want to know how it works.
“We began it on a small scale with
two schools in Abia North, two schools in Abia Central and two schools in Abia
South Senatorial Zones.
“We started off with schools that
are best in infrastructure because you cannot be feeding people who are sitting
on the floor,’’ he said.
He said that it was wrong for people
to create the impression that the pilot phase of the school feeding programme
was meant to have complete coverage of all schools in Abia state.
The commissioner said that the
state’s ministry of Women Affairs and Children’s Development was in charge of
coordinating the people who donate, cook and share the food at the schools.
Mgboji, however said that he was not
aware of the time the pilot project would be concluded to give way to possible
full-scale implementation across all schools in the state.
Recall that government had earlier
said that the programme would help meet the basic nutritional needs of children
and expand their opportunity to reach full potential and significantly enhance
the academic performance of the children.
The programme which started on June
2016, according to information from government quarters is to feed a total of
136, 258 pupils, who will consume 408, 774 fresh eggs, as well as Ofada rice
and beans weekly.
Meanwhile, schools in Aba North,
South and Osisioma Local Government Areas visited by our correspondent said
that they have not been taking part in it but have only been hearing of the
programme through the media.
They expressed hope that the government
would include them in the programme adding that they would like their children
to benefit from the project.
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