Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela, has appealed to striking food vendors engaged in the Federal Government primary school feeding programme in the state  to resume work with assurance that government will clear all the outstanding arrears this week.

It would be recalled that food vendors, numbering over 1,000 across the state's primary schools have since withdrawn their services as Federal Government failed to pay over three weeks arrears owed them.

Olowofela while speaking with journalists on Wednesday, assured the food vendors of government commitment to the programme, and blamed the non-payment of the arrears on logistics problem.

He said, "I can assure you that their accounts will be credited before tomorrow. The state government has immediately the matter was brought to its notice held meeting with the food vendors after consulting the Federal Government officials in charge of the programme and we have gotten the assurance that their accounts will be credited anytime from now."

The food vendors across the 33 local government areas of the state have stopped providing meals to primary school pupils in the past four weeks, lamenting that they had been using their personal fund to provide meals for the pupils without reimbursement by the Federal Government.

However in a show of appreciation of the state government, scores of the food vendors yesterday converged on the governor's office, Secretariat Complex, Ibadan, to thank Governor Abiola Ajimobi, for his quick intervention in the matter.

One of the food vendors from Oyo town while speaking on the condition of anonymity, said "we have been using our money to feed the children for the past four weeks without pay. Now that we don't have any money to continue feeding the pupils, we have to stop cooking because there is no money to buy food items anymore.

"Let them pay us so that we can have money to continue feeding them. And the government should stop starving us with funds if they are really committed to this feeding programme."

Another food vendor from Iseyin, expressed gratitude to the state government for the concern and timely resolution of the matter.

She said, "That is why we say we must come here to thank our governor for his love and concern. We were informed that our accounts will be credited today or tomorrow so that we can go back to the kitchen and continue feeding the children".

The food vendors were seen wearing uniformed attire with the state government logo.