Aregbesola tasks Government on school feeding programme

The Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has said that social investment on the youths, particularly the school children, was necessary to eradicate poverty in the society.

He said this when the co-ordinator of the National Home Grown School Feeding programme, Mrs. Abimbola Adesanya, led a team to understudy Osun school feeding programme (O’ Meal).

He stated that more than half of the population of the country was in abject poverty, adding that government must get the school feeding programme right.

Aregbesola noted that poverty makes everything difficult for human existence, saying everything should be done to alleviate it in all ramifications.

He charged the Federal Government to sustain its fight against corruption because it contributes immensely to the level of poverty in the country.

He averred that if the Federal Government succeeded in introducing and sustaining the Home Grown School Feeding the country’s economy would recover totally.

He stated that if the feeding programme had been introduced a decade ago by successive governments, the horrendous killing and destruction the country was witnessing today in the North-East would not have arisen.

He said that, “Social investment on children is a necessity. This will halt the wave of poverty in the country.

“Corruption is one of the causes of poverty. This is why there is increase in survival tendencies. We must fight, check or attenuate corruption before its corrosive effect ruins the nation.

“If the Federal Government gets this national feeding programme right, we will be back on the right track.”

He added that with the agriculture products being sourced locally, the O’Meal of Osun State also has huge economic impact in the state through empowerment of all stakeholders participating in the programme.

He disclosed that his government continued to run the school feeding programme, despite the harsh economic situation because there was the will-power and commitment on the part of government and those in charge of the programme.

He added, “We are able to go this far because of our sheer will power. Our will is cast in iron.‎ We commend the Federal Government for buying into the programme. We will await its support.

“If this kind of programme had been embraced a decade ago, the kind of heinous crime the Boko Haram is unleashing on the country wouldn’t have been heard off.”

Adesanya said that the template used in Osun State was worthy of emulation. She commended Osun for what she described as its ingenious way that had moved the programme from what it was originally to an enviable one.

“National Home Grown School Feeding programme is part of Government’s effort to uplift the indigent out of poverty in the country.

“Our coming to Osun was basically to have an insight into the synergy within the government structure in running the programme, the strength and challenges involved.

“The programme is for the people and it has transformed the state’s education and economic activities,” Adesanmi said.