It was reported that the pupils reportedly became ill after eating food supplied to the school under the state’s government-sponsored school feeding programme, O-Meal and were rushed to hospital.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has ordered an investigation into the alleged poisoning of 18 pupils at St James Primary School B, Owoope, in the state capital, Osogbo.
It was reported that the pupils reportedly became ill after eating food supplied to the school under the state’s government-sponsored school feeding programme, O-Meal and were rushed to hospital.
The Chairman of the Local Government Education Authority, Mr Nathaniel Ojetola, reportedly said 18 pupils were treated and discharged from the hospital for food poisoning.
Reacting to the incident, Governor Adeleke in a statement issued on Monday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, ordered an investigation into the alleged poisoning of the pupils by food supplied by the state government.
The Commissioner stated that when the matter was reported to Governor Adeleke by his Special Adviser on O-Meal, Mrs Grace Oluwaseyi Ayodele, he directed the stoppage of further cooking at the affected school pending the outcome of the investigation.
PM News reports that the Commissioner stated that the cooks in the said schools alongside the planning officer for the O-Meal programme had also been summoned to a meeting on Tuesday morning.
The Governor also directed the enforcement of food standards and control as well as the auditing of the O-Meal structure to forestall future occurrences, while the state government has settled the medical bills of the affected pupils.
Part of the statement read, “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 two hundred, while one hundred and three are within the population receiving food from the O-Meal Programme.”
The Commissioner further stated that a government delegation would visit the families of the affected students.
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