Tension among Borno teachers as state govt engages ‘spy students’ to catch those stealing food meant for schoolchildren

macfranc007 November 09, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Buchi Obichie

- Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, has drawn up a plan to engage students as spies to catch principals diverting food allotted for the public school feeding programme

- The students would be given direct access to the governor and be able to inform him of any culprits, via text messages and through other social media platforms

- The governor stated that he was on a mission to identify some sacrificial lambs and deal with two or three principals who shortchange pupils in their feeding

Various mechanisms, including the use of pupils as spies, have been set up by the Borno state government, to catch those diverting food meant for the public school feeding programme, Premium Times reports.

The development was made public by the state governor, Kashim Shettima, during the inauguration of a special committee to handle improved feeding of students in 78 secondary schools across the state.

NAIJ.com gathers that Shettima disclosed that the spies would be able to send him telephone messages and messages via social media platforms, as a means of relaying information on the quality of meals being served in their schools.

It is not yet known if the spy students would be given phones and airtime to carry out their clandestine duties.

Shettima reportedly took this unorthodox decision, after showing up unannounced at a particular secondary school in the state, and discovering that the meals being served fell short of what he prescribed.

The newly inaugurated committee would be chaired by Musa Kubo, the Borno state commissioner for education.

Speaking to the committee about the new development, the governor stated: “Do not feel that I am being suspicious.

“As you all know, I do visit schools but this time around, I will give some students (you will never know) my phone numbers to communicate directly with me to give me regular updates on the quality of meals they are being served henceforth.

“You as committee members should address the principals and call them to order. I will urge you to directly procure the foodstuff and give it to the principals of our respective boarding secondary schools.

“And it is within your mandate to hire and pay the salaries of cooks where there are shortages of kitchen personnel.

“I want all of you to work hard and identify some sacrificial lambs. I want you to deal with two or three principals who shortchange pupils in their feeding.

“As I have always said, education is very important to the development of any society and we owe an obligation to humanity, to posterity to fix public schools in Borno. ‎

“With the way we are building schools, some people would feel we are crazy because they forget that Boko Haram has taken our education backward and created thousands of school-aged out-of-school children.

“We are buying lands, we are buying premises and building schools on them; and we will make these schools function effectively.”

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Recall that NAIJ.com previously reported that the free-food programme promised by the Muhammdu Buhari administration kicked off in primary schools in Borno state.

The social welfare programme was set up to encourage western education among the students who received free food and uniforms from the government.

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