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By Emmanuel Adeleke
Eighteen students of St. James Primary School B, Owo-Ope, Osogbo were reportedly hospitalised after eating food prepared by vendors operating under the Osun State Government’s free school feeding programme, aka O-Meal.
It was gathered that the pupils complained of stomach aches after eating the meals and were rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, Osun State Government has ordered a full investigation into the incident.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed immediate investigation after the matter was officially reported to him by the Special Adviser on O-Meal, Oluwaseyi Ayodele.
Alimi also said that the governor has directed the stoppage of foord preparation at the affected school pending the outcome of the investigation.
“The affected cooks in the said school alongside the planning officer for the O-Meal programme have also been summoned to a meeting.
“Additionally, the governor has directed enforcement of food standard and control as well as the auditing of the O-Meal structure to forestall future occurrence,” the commissioner said.
Alimi, who noted that the state government will settle the medical bills of the affected students, said the Chairman of the Local Government Education Authority, Nathaniel Ojetola, who was at the forefront of the intervention efforts, said the students have been 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.
“A government delegation is also visiting families of the affected students,” he stated.