By Harris Emmanuel

UYO—Federal Government’s school feeding programme has run into hitches in Akwa Ibom State as the children have not been fed this term following the non-release of funds to the vendors.

Children benefiting from Home Growth School Feeding Programme of the Buhari administration

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Vanguard checks revealed that of the 1,160 primary schools in the oil rich state, only 600 schools were captured in the programme which has suffered several set backs in the past in the state.

It was gathered that of the four components of the programme, only two, namely N-power and the school feeding programme were operational in the state, but the state govern-ment is working hard to ensure the remaining two components are implemen-ted so that the pupils could benefit from them.

A teacher at QIC Primary School, Afaha Itam in Itu Local Government Area of the state, who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “The vendor only came for two weeks and after that she didn’t come again. The children have not been fed and when we asked her, she said she had not been given money.”

Contacted, the Akwa Ibom State Focal Person, Social Investment Programme, Dr. Godwin Akpan, confirmed that the state allocation has not be paid by Abuja for several months, a development he said had hampered the smooth operations of the school feeding programme in the state.

Akpan expressed dismay that Akwa Ibom children have been denied their fair share of the Federal Government’s social investment programme, despite the fact that the state government has done its part by providing the counterpart funding and tasked the authorities on why the programme was being implemented half-hardheartedly in the state.