The Osun State Government and the All Progressives Congress in the state are embroiled in a blame game after approximately 18 pupils fell ill and were hospitalized due to suspected food poisoning.
The affected students, reportedly from James Primary School B in Osogbo, Osun State, received treatment on Monday after consuming a meal provided through the government’s free school feeding program.
The incident sparked panic, particularly among parents, as videos of the affected pupils in hospital circulated on social media.
However, attempts to investigate the matter directly at the school were thwarted as officials cited ongoing first-term examinations as the reason for denying entry to journalists.
According to one of the victims, they fell ill after consuming rice and egg served during lunch, experiencing stomach complications thereafter.
Additionally, mothers of the affected children noted a foul smell emanating from the eggs served, which raised concerns about the food’s quality and its impact on the students.
They called for an investigation to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In response, the Osun State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Dipo Eluwole, questioned why only around 11 pupils residing in the same compound out of more than 100 served were affected.
Eluwole mentioned that the affected pupils were in the middle of their examinations when ministry officials visited the school and proposed a medical examination at a public hospital, which was declined by the parents.
He said, “Over a hundred pupils ate the food. But about 11 out of them, who are living in the same compound were those that were said to be affected. On getting to the school on Tuesday, we met the affected pupils writing examination. After their exam, we told them that we were moving them to a hospital for further checks, but their parents refused the offer.
“We recorded that scene. When I was told what the parents of the affected pupils said, I mandated the officer in charge of the school to release the pupils to government officials and they were taken to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo. After they were examined, the doctors told us that nothing was wrong with them.
“One of the pupils has malnutrition. After she was examined, we were told that the only food that particular pupil eat daily is the one government serves them in school. The girl is malnourished. We told the hospital to admit and treat her for malnutrition. We however warned the hospital to ensure that they keep an eye on her so that opposition party won’t kidnap her and blame it on the government.
“We interviewed some of the parents and they said one Boda Wasiu asked them to say all they said on camera yesterday (Monday). They said nothing affected their children. We don’t want the person who gave us that hint to be tagged. But we will want the said Wasiu to be apprehended and answer questions regarding what they claimed he did. We will not want to mention the source so that they will not attack her. That Wasiu is a card-carrying member of APC. They just want to tarnish the name of this administration.”
In response to the incident, Osun APC chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, cautioned Governor Ademola Adeleke, urging him to cease risking the lives of school pupils by allowing substandard food to be served through vendors in the school feeding program.
Lawal, in a statement from Osogbo, emphasized that the occurrence was a consequence of the governor’s lax approach in managing state affairs.
The state APC chairman said, “The humanity in me became uncomfortable when one of the mothers of the victims gave an account of the state of his child that immediately his son came back from school, he started smelling an offensive odour of rotten eggs. Is it true that only miserable N64 was budgeted for each pupil per meal? Is it true the government of Adeleke pays N10,000 per month to each O’Meal vendor?
“If these allegations are true, then Governor 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, at a time he himself budgeted billions for his own food and refreshments?
“The children affected are the future leaders of this country. If Governor Adeleke had been fed with rotten eggs when he was a schoolboy as it happened to innocent schoolchildren, would he have secured the opportunity to become the controversial governor that he is today?
“All the stakeholders should rise up to condemn the laissez-faire approach to governance by Governor Adeleke which was partly manifested with the suspected poisoning of the 18 school pupils with his ill-thought-out and substandard free school feeding programme.”
