Jigawa State Government has suspended contractors involved in the school feeding programme due to allegations of fraud and poor service delivery.
The suspension was announced by the state Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Special Duties, Hon. Auwal D. Sankara, during an inspection of schools in Dutse local government.
According to Sankara, the inspection revealed irregularities, including inflated student population figures, supply of substandard food items, and incomplete food deliveries to boarding schools.
“The monitoring team discovered irregularities, including inflated student population figures, supply of substandard food items, and incomplete food deliveries to boarding schools,” the statement said.
At the Girls Model Boarding School, Kudai, the commissioner explained that inspectors found a discrepancy between official records and the actual number of students, with 1,008 students recorded but only 681 counted.
The statement noted that the food was also deemed unfit for consumption, leading to the suspension of contractor Jibrin Maifata.
At Government Commercial Secondary School, Dutse, a consignment of rice was rejected for failing to meet standards, and the Chairman of the School Feeding Contractors, Alhaji Sule Zai, was dismissed.
Also, three contractors were also suspended at the School for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Dutse, for delivering incomplete food supplies.
The statement noted that the actions are in line with Governor Umar Namadi’s 12-Point Agenda and the administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability in public programmes.
The commissioner warned that any individual found diverting resources meant for students’ feeding and welfare would be prosecuted.
He noted that Inspections will continue across the state to ensure value for public funds and adherence to standards in all social intervention programmes.
