Osun orders investigation as 11 pupils hospitalised for allegedly eating contaminated food

At least 11 pupils of St James Primary School, Owo-ope, Osogbo, were rushed to different hospitals in the State capital, after eating food served to them in school.

WesternPost gathered that the food that was served on Monday by some food vendors recruited by the state government under the O’Meal programme was a contaminated meal.

The pupils, it was learnt began to experience stomach upset and visited toilets no sooner than when they returned home from schools.

Upon interrogation, the children disclosed that the O’Meal vendors served each of them a plate of rice with egg.

Some of the mothers of the children expressed anger and alleged that they perceived rotten eggs from the mouths of their children.

Meanwhile, the 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, Ademola Adeleke, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, directed immediate action when the matter was reported to him by the Special Adviser on O-Meal, Mrs Grace Oluwaseyi Ayodele.

The Governor has subsequently directed 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 this morning.

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 statement also disclosed that 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 disclosed that a total number of 18 students were treated and discharged.

According to him, the total student population of the school is 200 while 103 are within the population receiving food from the O-Meal Programme.

The statement added that a government delegation is also visiting families of the affected students.

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