HOME GROWN SCHOOL FEEDING: Critics Are Ignorant, Nobody Can Dent My Image- Bunmi Ademosu

By Dupson Collins,25th September,2021

The Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Intergovernmental Relations, Mrs. Bunmi Ademosu, who is the focal person in charge of the Federal Government Home Grown School Feeding programme in Ondo State has disagreed with the vendors over the fund released for the programme, saying her critics are ignorant of the running of the programme.

She accused the vendors of planning to short change the government whereas the Food Vendors thought otherwise.

The school feeding programme of the Federal Government which was launched in the state in 2017 has been enmeshed in controversy as the food vendors and the state government’s representative in the project disagree over the sustainability of the programme in Ondo State.

The food vendors engaged for the programme in the state have complained that they were being paid peanuts for the feeding of the children in their care.

Speaking with the PATH, Mrs Ademosu said those criticising her lack deep knowledge of the Federal Government Home Grown School Feeding Programme, adding that the vendors were paid directly from Abuja and not her as some people tend to mislead the general public.

In her words ” The Bible says my people perish for lack of knowledge; do I pay vendors? Vendors are being paid directly from Abuja. I am not the bank nor Federal Government and my image can’t be dented by anybody, ignorance is not an excuse in law”.

Ademosu said that nobody can dent her image nor blackmail her over the fund released for the programme as the money provided by government is being paid directly to the vendors.

She said instead of verifying the process of the programme from proper channel, some people would rather rush to the press to say what they don’t know out of ignorance.

” If some people are ignorant of what is happening and the process and they refused to come to the proper channel to ask, would I now leave my time in serving the people and making things right, following ignorant people to be explaining; no, the media are meant to do their job and where the media failed, there is nothing I can do”.

The focal person frowned at the shading report of the media who to her carried forged information without doing proper verification before rushing to press.

” For media to have carried such forged information, I expected the media who know about the home grown school feeding to have followed up and write a rejoinder and not coming to ask me”.

You (press) started the programme with me, everything is not about money and if you are a journalist and enjoy the job you do, you are suppose to put things right, that is why you are a journalist, do your findings before rushing to press”.

She assured the primary school children and parents that the federal government sustainability of the programme is in full course, saying her office will ensure strict monitoring of the programme across the 18 local governments of the state.