Lockdown: Civil Society Groups want to monitor federal government’s food distribution to pupils at homes
A group of Civil Society Organisations have offered to support the Federal Government efforts in monitoring the proposed distribution of food packages to the households of parents who have children in public schools and are current beneficiaries of the Home Grown School Feeding programme (HGSFP) in their various communities.
Penpushing reports that, the offer was contained in a communiqué by the nine Non-Governmental Organisations comprising: Actionaid International, Nigeria, Action Health Incorporated. Centre for Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN), Connecting Gender for Development (COGEN),Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN),Girl Child Concerns (GCC),Nigerian Popular Theatre Alliance (NPTA),The Education Partnership Centre (TEP CENTRE)and Women Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON)
The body added in the resolution that it will also support governments’ effort through the various structures/mechanisms being put in place by the respective State Governments, and work with the different community-based groups and individuals ‘whom we have been working with over the years’
Penpushing further reports that the group emphasized that this is to complement the efforts of government and share the findings of their involvement in the on-going exercise at different levels for learning and decision making purposes.
‘We call on government at different levels to see this support as action for the common good of the Nigerian people and therefore be receptive to the participation of Civil Society Organisations in the National, State and Local Government level committees set up to plan and implement the COVID-19 related interventions’
‘ With the support of the MacArthur Foundation, our interventions in the past three years have contributed immensely to the progress recorded so far in the different aspects of the programme including model development and implementation, food supply and distribution, fund allocation/effective resource use (food quantity/quality), community awareness, participation and ownership, monitoring systems, collaboration and general administration of the HGSFP’.
The body recalled that President Mohammed Buhari on 29th March, 2020, made a national broadcast regarding the government’s response to the global pandemic coronavirus, adding that in the speech he stated that government has “…provided an initial intervention of fifteen billion Naira (N15b) to support the national response as we fight to contain and control the spread.”
Penpushing also reports that, Buhari stated: “…although schools are closed, I have instructed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to work with State Governments in developing a strategy on how to sustain the school feeding programme during this period…”
The organisations said they applauded the steps that government at different levels have taken so far in terms of technical, financial and social response, noting that the earmarking of an initial sum of N15,000,000,000 to support the fight against the Corona Virus pandemic is a significant contribution that puts Nigeria on the map of countries that are giving the pandemic the serious attention that it deserves.
‘However, it is important to put in place accountability structures and measures that will ensure that the full value of this significant investment is realized. It is with this background that we call on the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, and all the State Governors, their cabinet members and the entire government architecture to re-commit themselves to the fight against corruption even as we battle the Corona Virus pandemic’.
‘The role of citizens in the effective management of State affairs cannot be over-emphasized; therefore the current global pandemic calls for the involvement of all stakeholders in shaping and finding solutions. In view of this, we have resolved to:
‘We call on government at different levels to see this support as action for the common good of the Nigerian people and therefore be receptive to the participation of Civil Society Organisations in the National, State and Local Government level committees set up to plan and implement the COVID-19 related interventions’.
