By Ahmed Rufa’i
The Jigawa State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Special Duties, Hon. Auwalu Danladi Sankara, has uncovered widespread inflation of student enrolment figures running into over 30 per cent in some boarding schools across the state.
The discovery followed the commissioner’s unscheduled visits to selected schools, where he personally conducted headcounts to verify the actual number of students benefiting from the government’s school feeding programme.
The TRUTHS FINDER learnt that Sankara was sighted in several male and female boarding schools within Dutse Local Government Area, counting students in classrooms and hostels during the surprise inspections aimed at blocking leakages and enforcing accountability in the scheme.
In a statement on his official Facebook page, the commissioner said the exercise led to the immediate suspension and dismissal of several food contractors found to have compromised the integrity of the programme for personal gain.
According to him, the inspection was designed to audit the school feeding programme and protect the welfare of students, stressing that the government would no longer tolerate inflated figures, substandard food supplies or incomplete deliveries.
At the Girls Model Boarding School, Kudai, the principal reportedly declared a student population of 1,008. However, a physical headcount by the monitoring team revealed only 681 students an inflation of more than 30 per cent.
The soup served to the students was also adjudged unfit for human consumption, leading to the immediate suspension of the contractor, Jibrin Maifata.
Similarly, at Government Commercial Secondary School, Dutse, the team rejected a consignment of low-grade rice supplied to students. In a decisive move, the commissioner also relieved Alhaji Sule Zai of his position as Chairman of the Contractors.
At the School for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Dutse, three contractors—Kamalu Sulaiman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abanderi and Alhaji Umaru Chamo—were suspended after being caught delivering incomplete food supplies.
However, a positive outcome was recorded at the School for the Visually Impaired, Limawa, where the reported student number matched the physical headcount. The contractor, Adamu Khalid, was retained but issued a stern warning to sustain consistency in supply and improve meal quality by adding more protein and fruits, as requested by the students.
Reaffirming the government’s position, the ministry said the Jigawa State Government, under Governor Umar Namadi’s 12-Point Agenda, remains committed to transparency, accountability and the welfare of children.
It warned that anyone found diverting resources meant for the nutrition and education of students would face the full weight of the law.
