Jigawa State Government has dismissed several school contractors and kitchen supervisors over alleged irregularities in the state’s school feeding programme.
This was revealed in a statement released by the office of the Commissioner for Humanitarian Services, Hon. Awwalu D. Sankara, accusing the affected individuals of alleged fraud involving diversion of food intended for students and hospital patients.
According to the statement, the government raised concerns over reported incidents of misconduct and fraudulent dealings by some school and hospital food vendors, warning that strict steps would be enforced to trace offenders and ensure prosecution.
“The Jigawa State Government has taken firm action against corruption in its feeding programme. All culprits will face the full weight of the law, as the government will not condone cheating or breach of trust,” the statement read.
The decision followed surprise inspections conducted by the commissioner across schools and health facilities in Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi Local Government Areas.
Sankara observed discrepancies between reported and actual student populations in some schools.
“In some schools, the number of students being reported was far higher than those actually present,” he said.
“At Government Junior Secondary School, Karkarna in Yankwashi, only 123 students were physically present, despite records indicating 257.”
He added that similar irregularities were uncovered in other locations, raising concerns that funds allocated for feeding programmes were being misappropriated.
Inspectors also received complaints regarding the quality of food supplied. In some cases, contractors allegedly delivered substandard rice and failed to comply with the approved feeding standards.
Following the findings, the ministry dismissed four kitchen supervisors for allegedly falsifying records, while two contractors were removed for supplying substandard food. Another contractor at Gwiwa Hospital was also dismissed for skipping meals and failing to meet required standards.
Meanwhile, two school officials are under investigation for allegedly collaborating to manipulate records at the Government Girls Science Secondary School in Roni.
Sankara stressed that the government would not tolerate any act that deprives students and patients of their entitlements.
He assured residents that the state would continue unannounced inspections to ensure the feeding programme achieves its intended objectives.
