SERAP Demands Details Of FG’s Feeding Programme From Sadiya Farouk

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) said it has sent a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to the Buhari administration to publish details of its home feeding programme or face a lawsuit in seven days.

SERAP is requesting names of the suppliers and contractors, the procurement rules, including bidding processes, the total budget, and all designated voucher distribution and collection sites for the implementation.

According to SERAP information on the number of states to be covered during the COVID-19 crisis, projected spending per state, details of the mechanisms and logistics that have been put in place to carry out the programme should also be made available.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, last week at the Presidential Tasks Force, PTF, press briefing announced that the Federal Government would start feeding school children in their homes starting from Abuja, Ogun and Lagos states.

SERAP in its demand sent to Farouk in the May 9, 2020 FOI urged her to make the scheme transparent, saying this would address public skepticism regarding the ability of the government to satisfactorily implement the programme, promote openness, allow Nigerians to track its implementation and hold suppliers and contractors to account.

“The government has a responsibility to ensure that these requirements and other anti-corruption controls are fully implemented and monitored and to ensure that the programme benefits the children and families who need it the most.

“We urge you to also establish an online national database for all suppliers and contractors responsible for carrying out the programme to feed school children in their homes, which is expected to cover over three million households in Lagos and Ogun states, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”

SERAP said it would be grateful if the requested information is provided within one week of the letter’s receipt.

“If we have not heard from you by then, the Registered Trustees of SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions under the Freedom of Information Act to compel you to comply with our request”, it threatened.