Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has demanded from Federal Government to publish details for the implementation of the school feeding programme at home amid COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
SERAP, in a a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, dated May 9, 2020, by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare to the FG, demanded for details of suppliers, contractors, the procurement rules, including bidding processes, the total budget, and all designated voucher distribution and collection sites for the implementation of the programme.
SERAP also sought: “information on the number of states to be covered during the COVID-19 crisis, the projected spending per state, details of the mechanisms and logistics that have been put in place to carry out the programme, as well as the role expected to be played by the World Food Programme.”
READ ALSO: COVID-19: SERAP asks Buhari to use confiscated stolen assets as isolation centres
The request was sequel to announcement by Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, Ms Sadia Umar-Farouk last week Wednesday, on plans by FG to start feeding school children in their homes during the COVID-19 crisis, starting from Ogun and Lagos states, and Abuja.
In the FoI request sent to Umar-Farouk, SERAP asked the government to: “urgently invite the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the implementation of the programme.”
The letter read in part: “Publishing the details requested is in the public interest. This would help to address public scepticism regarding the ability of the government to satisfactorily implement the programme, promote openness, and allow Nigerians to track its implementation and to hold suppliers and contractors to account.
