School feeding programme: FG speaks on why payment of some vendors was delayed

The federal government has made clarifications on the temporary delay in the payment of some of the vendors supplying food to children who are beneficiaries of the school feeding programme.

In a statement on Thursday, Ismaeel Ahmed, senior special assistant to the president on social investments programme, said the transfer of the project to the ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development contributed to the development.

In October, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the ministry to take over the project which was formerly coordinated by the office of the vice-president..

Ahmed said Sadiyya Farouq, the minister, had to be fully briefed when she took over, adding that the payment has continued unhindered.

“Since Hajiya Sadiyya Farouq, the Minister, assumed office, she has gone about handling the transition of the affairs of the Social Investment Programmes from the Presidency to the new Ministry, with the support of the programme administrators and the Cluster Heads,” the statement read.

“During this period, she has had to receive briefings from the NSIO and the different clusters concerning the implementation and status of the programmes, successes and challenges.

“Where she needs additional information, she has sought further clarification in a bit to ensure that the implementation process fulfills the intended mandates of the SIPs. It should be noted that the former accounting Ministry, which is the ministry of Budget and National Planning has to put on hold all processes of payments after the presidential instruction of the movement of the SIP.

“Hence, the necessary civil service procedures that needs to be set up in the new ministry and the briefings delayed payments for a bit. However all issues and briefings and procedures has been resolved and payment has continued unhindered.

“Regarding the delay in the stipends of N-Power volunteers for two months (October and November), the Hounourable Minister, in a Press Conference on the 2nd of December 2019 explained the reason behind the delay, and also pledged that beneficiaries would receive their backlog payments on or before December 20th, 2019. This was done. These actions clearly indicate that, contrary to what some media houses are putting out, the Honourable Minister is not acting in any inimical manner toward the Programme.

“She has cleared all request that have to do with payments of vendors and stipends that has reached her table. The Honorable Minister and the National Social Investments Programme are focused towards using the SIPs as an impactful tool towards actualizing the President’s mandate to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.”