Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Federal Government to publish details 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 of the school feeding programme at home.
The Organisation is also seeking information on the number of states to be covered during the COVID-19 crisis, the projected spending per state, details of the mechanisms and logistics that have been put in place to carry out the programme, as well as the role expected to be played by the World Food Programme.
SERAP made these requests in a Freedom of Information (FoI) request signed by its Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare dated 9 May, 2020.
The FoI request is sequel to claims by the Federal Government that it would continue feeding school children in their homes during the COVID-19 crisis, starting from Lagos states, and Abuja.
In the FoI request sent to Ms Umar-Farouk, SERAP said publishing the details of the programme is in the public interest and would help to address public skepticism regarding the ability of the government to satisfactorily implement the programme, promote openness, and allow Nigerians to track its implementation and to hold suppliers and contractors to account.
The Organisation asked the Federal Government to urgently invite the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the implementation of the programme.