The Osun State Government has started looking into the matter of approximately eighteen students from James Primary School in Osogbo who are said to have ended up in hospitals after consuming a midday meal provided to them as part of the state government’s free school feeding program.
In addition, the government ordered that all food preparation at the impacted school be stopped while the investigations were ongoing.
Following a report of the issue to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Kolapo Alimi, the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, issued a statement on Tuesday that was obtained in Osogbo.
The patients have reportedly received treatment and been released from hospitals.
The statement read, “Osun State Government has ordered full investigations into the reported cases of food poisoning at St James primary School B, Owoope Osogbo
“The State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, directed immediate action when the matter was reported to him by the Special Adviser on O-Meal, Mrs Grace Ayodele. The Governor has subsequently directed the stoppage of further food cooking at the affected school pending the outcome of the investigations.
“The affected cooks in the said schools alongside the planning officer for the O-Meal programme have also been summoned to a meeting by Tuesday morning. Additionally, the governor has directed enforcement of food standards and control as well as the auditing of the O-Meal structure to forestall future occurrences.
“Meanwhile, the government is settling the medical bills of the affected students as narrated by the Chairman of the Local Government Education Authority, Mr Nathaniel Ojetola. The LGEA Chairman who was at the forefront of the intervention efforts disclosed that a total number of 18 students were treated and discharged.
“The total student population of the school is 200 while 103 are within the population receiving food from the O-Meal Programme. A government delegation is also visiting families of the affected students.”
Parents of the afflicted students, who posted videos of their children on hospital beds on social media, were particularly alarmed by the Monday episode.
The PUNCH was able to secure a video on Tuesday that showed three of the patients being given drip treatment.
One of the victims described how they got sick, saying they were given rice and an egg and then they started running feces.
Mothers of the victims who are also seen in the video claimed to have noticed an unpleasant odor coming from the egg their kids had been served on Monday when they got home from school.
They expressed concerns about the meal the vendor supplied them because they said their kids began pooping soon after coming home from school.
They insisted on an inquiry into the incident in order to stop reoccurrence.
