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The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has clarified the report made by its Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, on Monday 28 October 2020, at the commission’s 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector.
Reports had emerged after the presentation indicating that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was involved in the diversion of about N2.67 billion meant for the feeding of school children during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The report presented by the ICPC Chairman at the summit indicated that payments were made to some federal schools for the purpose of school feeding to the tune of about N2.67 billion.
What was most worrisome about the purported payment was that the funds ended up in private accounts, and the children, whom the funds were meant to secure feeding for, were not in school due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
However, the commission has debunked this claim following a statement that has been published on their website.
“The commission wishes to clarify that the ‘school feeding’ referred to by the Chairman of ICPC, was the feeding of boarding students in Federal Government Colleges, who were all at home during the COVID-19 lockdown.”
“This is not the Home Grown School Feeding Programme being managed by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.”
“The Commission had discovered, through its review of publications in the Open Treasury Portal, that statutory monthly allocations meant for the feeding of secondary school students of some federal government colleges were diverted into personal accounts.”
“This statement is issued for the purpose of clarifying the statement of the Hon. Chairman.”
“Consequently, the general public is hereby advised to disregard the said reports suggesting a reference to the school feeding programme going on in primary schools”, the statement concluded.
