El-Rufai using N1.8bn free school feeding programme to score cheap political point – Laah

By Luka Binniyat

KADUNA—Senator Danjuma Laah, yesterday faulted the recent free feeding program introduced for the 1.8 million primary school pupils of Kaduna state at N50 per meal by the Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led government.

Laah is a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator representing Kaduna South Senatorial Zone.

Penultimate Monday, El Rufai had flagged off a free, one-meal feeding programme for the 1.8 million Kaduna State primary pupils and enthused that the programme would increase school enrolment and assist children to learn better.

Each meal would cost N50 Naira, he had said.

Laah, who is the only member of the senate elected on the platform of the PDP in North West Zone described the project as a deliberate attempt by Governor Nasir El-Rufai to score curious political point.

In a statement he signed in Kaduna, he argued that the sum of N90 million per day or N450 million per week gulped to feed pupils could have been used to improve the quality and quantity of school infrastructure and teaching aids in the state.

He said: “I believe that is time we tell ourselves the truth irrespective of party, if elected leaders like me really mean well for Kaduna state. I am sticking to the interest of the state and I stand against  how our common wealth is being used wrongly in the state in the name of feeding 1.8 million primary school children every day.

“If Kaduna State government claims that it is using N50 to feed every child, that means that each day the state spends N90 million per day, N450 million per week and N1.8 billion will be spend in a month.

“Though the government is claiming that it going to get assistance from the Federal government on the programme, it does not make sense that a state that gets a mere N3.5 billion from the Federation account each month and, has a wage bill about N2.2 billion per month could use N1.8 billion to feed kids that should be fed by their parents.”