APC tackles Gov. Adeleke over food poisoning of Osun pupils
Osun governor Ademola Adeleke
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Joshua Oladipo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, on Tuesday, described the suspected poisoning of 18 primary school pupils after eating meals supplied to them under the O-Meal free school feeding programme of the state as another manifestation of laissez-faire approach of Governor Ademola Adeleke to governance,
The party said this in reaction to an alleged food poisoning of 18 primary school pupils of St. James Primary School in Osogbo.
The 18 pupils allegedly became ill after eating their free O-Meal diet, on Monday, and were rushed to an undisclosed hospital where they were all treated and later discharged.
While reacting to the incident APC, in a statement by its Osun Chairman, Mr Sooko Lawal, in a statement on Tuesday in Osogbo, said that the episode was another index of lackadaisical leadership in the state.
If these allegations are true, then Gov. Adeleke must have a clear conversation with his creator. How would the food vendors be dedicated when they are paid peanuts and are not supplied with the right food supplies? ” Lawal said.
He said that stakeholders should rise up to condemn the laissez-faire approach to governance, which was partly manifested with the suspected poisoning of 18 primary school pupils.
The party also advised Gov. Ademola Adeleke to halt the free school feeding programme in the statement made available to journalists by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Mr Kola Olabisi.
Lawal was further quoted in the statement as describing the incident as an embarrassment to the citizenry and a gauge of the unpreparedness of the “handlers”.
” The humanity in me became uncomfortable when one of the victim’s mother gave account of her child coming back from school with an offensive odour similar to a rotten egg.
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Meanwhile , the Osun Government has ordered full investigation into the alleged food poisoning of in St. James Primary School (B), Owoope in Osogbo.
This is contained in a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, and made available to newsmen in Osogbo.
The statement explained that Gov. Ademola Adeleke ordered the action and had directed the stoppage of free meals to pupils.
It stated that the affected cooks in the school and their planning officer for the programme had been summoned to a meeting on Tuesday.
“The governor has directed enforcement of food standard as well as the auditing of O-Meal structure to prevent future occurrence,” the commissioner said.
According to the statement, the state government has settled all medical bills of affected students after they were discharged from hospital.
Also, the Chairman of Local Government Education Authority, Mr Nathaniel Ojetola, said that 18 students were treated and discharged.
” The total student population of the school is 200 while only 103 were within the population receiving food from the O-Meal programme .
” Also, a government delegation is visiting families of the affected students,” the statement said.
(NAN )
