$30m safe school initiative: Senate summons finance, education ministers

The Senate, through its ad-hoc Committee investigating the failure of the Safe School Initiative, on Wednesday summoned the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to appear before it next Tuesday.

The decision followed the adoption of the committee’s work plan during its inaugural meeting, chaired by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North).

Also summoned are the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd); the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi; and representatives of school proprietors.

Briefing journalists after the sitting, Senator Kalu vowed that the Senate would uncover all issues surrounding the collapse of the initiative and ensure full accountability for funds allocated to the programme.

He expressed concern that more than 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped and over 180 educational facilities attacked since 2014, describing the situation as unacceptable for a country committed to education and child safety.

“It is unacceptable that our schools remain soft targets for terrorists and kidnappers. We will track every naira and every dollar allocated to the Safe School Initiative, including the $30 million mobilised between 2014 and 2021, in addition to the recent N144 billion released by the federal government,” he said.

Kalu said Nigerians deserve to know why schools remain unsafe despite “enormous investments and global support.”

The investigation will focus on the utilisation of funds allocated since 2014; deployment and effectiveness of security personnel in schools; early-warning and emergency-response systems; infrastructure upgrades in vulnerable schools; and partnerships with international donors and private-sector contributors.

The inquiry comes amid renewed public outrage following the recent abduction of 25 female students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, and more than 200 others from St. Mary Catholic School in Niger State.

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