The Osun State Government and the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state on Tuesday traded blames following an incident of suspected food poisoning which led to about 18 pupils being treated in a hospital.
The victims, said to be pupils of James Primary School B, Osogbo, Osun State, were reportedly treated in hospitals on Monday following complications they developed, linked to the mid-day meal served to them in their school, under the government free school feeding programme.
The incident had caused panic, especially among parents of the affected pupils, as videos of them on hospital beds were shared on social media.
Narrating how they became ill, one of the victims said they were served rice with egg, after which they had running stomach.
Parents of the affected pupils have demanded an investigation into the development to prevent reoccurrence.
But while speaking with newsmen, the Osun State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Dipo Eluwole, said over 100 pupils were served the food and wondered why only about 11 of them living within the same compound were the only ones affected.
Eluwole, who said the affected pupils were met writing examination when officials from the ministry visited the school on Tuesday, further explained that after completing their examination, they were told of the plan by the government to have them examined at a public hospital, parents of the pupils refused the offer.
But while commenting on the incident, Osun APC chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, warned the governor, Ademola Adeleke, to stop toying with the lives of the school pupils with the substandard food being served the pupils by the vendors under the school feeding programme.
