School feeding program: Oyo commissioner harps on efficient service delivery.

OYO State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela has urged aggregators and stakeholders in the educational sector in the state to develop increased working capacity and improve efficiency in order to deliver efficient services to the pupils who are beneficiaries of the home grown school feeding program.

Professor Olowofela gave this charge while addressing the aggregators, education secretaries, zonal inspectors of education (ZIEs), local inspectors of education (LIEs) and Heads of Schools (HOS) in Ibadan, the state capital yesterday.

According to him “ the issue of supply must get to the nooks and crannies”.

The ex- council boss, Olowofela noted that in executing the policy, an initiative of the federal government in collaboration with Oyo state government, efficient service delivery must not be allowed to be a restraint in doing the needful, stressing that it is in the process of feeding the pupils that the programme can be refined and perfected.

He charged the aggregators to supply quality items as they are expected to justify the confidence reposed in them, saying that the government can terminate their contracts if they failed to perform according to the terms of the contract.

Also, the Commissioner enjoined the education secretaries and other stakeholders to play a leading role by ensuring strict monitoring and evaluation.

While soliciting support for the Abiola Ajimobi led administration, Olowofela lauded the governor for restoring peace, which he said had served as the pillar of the development of the state.

” Preponderance in the minds of the people is to do evil, it is in our own best interest to support the government of the state”, he emphasized.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs Aderonke Makanjuola said the gathering is the continuation of the previous meeting aimed at enhancing performance on the home grown school feeding program, adding that the ministry has discovered a few gaps. She admitted that the Ministry is not surprised to hear about teething problems with the take-off of the feeding, while assuring that the problems will be swiftly addressed with continuous improvement where necessary.

“The journey has been tedious, but our children deserve this and more. Oyo state government has identified some aggregators that can deliver and the governor has approved them to supply food items to the school program”, the Permanent Secretary stressed.

The aggregators, billed to commence operation by June were also in attendance and they include; Epac farms (eggs), situated at Iyana Bare in Oluyole Local Government Area, Ibadan led by Mr Oyewumi Oyedokun. Others are Unified Support Global Services, Bodija, Ibadan ( Bread) and Wanchester Farms Limited, Egbeda (meat).