Finance ministry withholds N4.9bn unity schools’ meal subsidy

The Ministry of Finance has failed to release the sum of N4.9bn meal subsidy of 112 Federal Unity Colleges across the country.

Our correspondent discovered this through sources within the Federal Civil Service alongside multiple letters written by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, to his finance counterpart, Wale Edun.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that the finance ministry failed to release the interventions for November and December 2023 but went ahead to pay the interventions for January 2024 to date.

Our correspondent found out that the sum of N2,478,056,400 is being paid monthly to all the 112 FUCs.

The immediate past Permanent Secretary of the FME, Didi Walson-Jack, who is now the Head of Civil Service of the Federation-designate,  in February 2024, wrote her finance counterpart asking that the interventions for the two months be released.

Walson-Jack, in her letter, noted that the failure to release the subsidy was affecting the smooth running of the colleges.

“Approval and payment of the outstanding months of meal subsidy will ensure effective planning, management and execution of the meal subsidy programme in the colleges. It would also give the colleges the leverage to stock enough food items to guard against the incessant price inflation being experienced on a daily basis.

“It is imperative to note that the current challenges being encountered in the management of the meal subsidy in the Federal Unity Colleges are resultant effects of high and still rising cost of food items in the country and the worsening effect of the recurring late releases of the meal subsidy funds,” the former Permanent Secretary said in her letter.

However, further findings revealed that despite Walson-Jack’s letter, the finance ministry failed to release the outstanding funds, prompting the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, himself to write another letter of reminder for the release of the funds.

Mamman noted that the failure of the ministry to release the funds had led to accrued debts in the 112 unity schools.

“The non-release of the outstanding months has adversely affected the arrangements made by the various schools’ managements to smoothly conclude the term last year and commence the new session for the year 2024. We plan to make necessary although avoidable adjustments in the academic calendar when the November and December 2023 meal subsidy payments are made.

“As you are aware, the prices of goods and services have been increasing incessantly on a daily basis and the funds earlier budgeted for the subsidy last year can no longer purchase the same quantity of items currently. Also, the worsening effect of the recurring late releases of the meal subsidy funds is a serious stress on delivery of services, as food vendors are unable to sustain steady supplies due to mounting unpaid debts.”

Workers, who are familiar with the matter, noted that despite the letters written the ministry had yet to release the funds.

One of the senior civil servants in the FME, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, said, “We need the Ministry of Finance to tell us how they are doing the calculations. The schools have run into debt and are complaining. Please find out from them.”

The Director of Press of the Ministry of Finance, Muhammed Manga, did not respond to multiple texts and calls by our correspondent to get the input of the ministry on the matter.