“”N2.67bn School feeding funds found in private accounts – ICPC.”
VANGUARD, September 29, 2020, p 8.
Virtually all Nigerian newspapers carried the news on the day; some as lead story. But, it was the second most reported news item on the day. It was only topped by the reports about disappointment with organised labour for calling off the strike without any substantial concession from the Federal Government. It was total surrender by Labour and it signifies that the new fuel prices have come to stay until they are increased again any time soon. Strike is however not on my mind at the moment. It is another revelation of massive fraud involving a government programme. It was foretold – as usual – and the FG offered the same sort of elf-seeking assurances which have once again proved false.
Specifically, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, alleges that “it uncovered N2.67 billion in personal accounts, being payment made to some federal colleges for school feeding during lockdown.” The allegation, if true, will not be surprising to most of us who have been in the media for long. This particular incident merely illustrates four things about the African and Nigerian character.
The first is our penchant to repeat the same mistake several times and by different governments. Call it stupidity or what you like. But, this is pervasive. Second is to base important projects and programmes on faulty premises. Utterances are illogical when you listen to them. The third is a stubborn refusal to listen to others who might have been through the experience before. Invariably, decisions are made and are irrevocable because government has made them – until the disasters foretold by critics stare everybody in the face. The fourth is premeditated fraud. It is known ab initio that the project will not work as conceived – but some people can derive material benefit from it. So, they get it approved; rake in their loot and wait for the consequences. Everybody already knows that Nigeria is one country where a person who embezzles billions stands a better chance of getting away with it than the one who steals a goat.
Allocation of funds to federal schools during national lockdown has elements of all the four troubling characteristics. At least four of my daughters attended federal schools. So, I am familiar with their policies regarding shut down of those schools. Because they all strive to achieve federal character, their pupils come from all over Nigeria. All of them sent the kids home during the shutdown. That should tell the reader something. But, just in case the point is missed, permit me to explain why this was a pre-planned embezzlement.
With the pupils scattered in all the 36 states and more dispersed within each state, it requires no more intelligence than that of the village idiot to know that it is impossible to feed mouths so widely separated – even if one has fleet of aircraft. So, why was any attempt made at all? The Minister of Humanitarian Services, who was responsible for this hoax, announced that President Buhari ordered it. I beg to disagree. The President of Nigeria is not that stupid. Instead, my suspicion rests on those who had been deceiving Buhari by claiming that they were feeding school children daily. In reality, there is no Nigerian child who received food daily in any state from start to finish. Osun, Kaduna and to some extent Ogun State performed best of all the 36 states. But, none scored 100%. Anybody claiming otherwise is a liar. So, deliberate fraud was embedded in the project right from start.
Furthermore, once schools were closed down teachers dispersed. Only skeletal staff were left behind. Obviously, there probably was nobody to receive the funds or food on behalf of the kids. Even if there was, the recipients will be helpless. The foods could not have been distributed because school teachers were not listed among those exempted from lockdown.
Apart from the query on who received the funds and products on behalf of the kids in federal schools, children in other schools were mostly not served either. Kids in Lagos Island come into mind.
Lagos Island is unique among all the 774 Local Governments in Nigeria. Not only is it small and compact in size, it is almost impossible for any major new development to occur in any part of it for three days without the news reaching all the corners of our Island. Despite my health challenges, or because of it, which kept me at home all day, I was waiting to receive news of the children’s food being distributed. Till toady, none was received. Furthermore, I am yet to meet a parent or guardian whose school age kids got federal government food. Again, the question arises: who in Lagos Island received federal food?
“Against [Nigerian official] stupidity, the gods themselves labour in vain.”
Frederick Schiller, 1759-1805. VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, p 235.
If anyone was surprised about the outcome of the scam, I was not among them. A strong warning was issued when the Buhari administration embarked on this ridiculous scam a few months ago. To the stupidity of officialdom, one must add deliberate lying as public policy. In fact, if any government reminds one that “Every government is run by liars, and nothing they say should be believed” (I.F. Stone, VBQ P 80).
THEY CANT STOP LYING EVEN IN A SERIOUS NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
Lagos, especially Lagos Island, will eventually expose the swindle. It is impossible for any largesse targeted specifically at the Island without the people knowing who got it and how it was shared. The recipients of this give-away programme will reveal how truly non-partisan the selection process has been. We know the members of various political parties and those, like me, who are totally independent. Not that we don’t already know what will happen; but, we want to see Hajia Farouq and the FG redeem their pledge on this matter.
“Liars ought to have good memories.”
Algernon Sidney, 1622-1683, VBQ p 127.
The Minister was not in charge of the School Feeding Programme for three years during the first term of the Buhari administration. Under previous Management the kids were fed with more fibs than food. Independent observers, like me, who visited several schools in many states raised alarm about the feeding fraud. We were ignored – until Mrs Aishat Buhari pointed to the scam in Kano state. That was the reason the programme is under new Management – with the same mindset towards kleptomania. If many schools received no food when schools were in session, is it now that all schools are shut down and Nigeria in total lockdown that the Ministry is promising to feed the kids? Who will cook the food and deliver them from house to house? Objective readers can see clearly that the entire programme is not only designed to fail, it is tailor-made for corruption.”
That was written in April this year. But, because some heartless and selfish persons in government wanted to dupe the country at all costs, Buhari was persuaded to approve the swindle. I was in Ibadan a few days ago and several calls to friends revealed that school children feeding was a hoax in the capital of Oyo state. If no food was served in the city, could food be served in the rough terrains of Oke Ogun? Too many liars barawos run Buhari government.
LAST LINE: You read the President’s address on fuel. That is your leader speaking. Any hope after that?
