Senate Summons Finance, Education Ministers Over Collapse of $30m Safe School Initiative

By Iyojo Ameh

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

The decision to summon the Finance Minister, taken by the Ad-hoc Committee chaired by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), followed the adoption of its work plan during its inaugural meeting held on Wednesday.

In addition to the Finance Minister, the committee has listed other key stakeholders in the failed initiative for appearance. Those to be summoned include the Minister of Education, Mr. Tunji Alausa; Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen Christopher Musa; Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar Audi; and representatives of school proprietors.

Addressing journalists at the committee’s inaugural sitting, Senator Kalu vowed that the Senate would thoroughly investigate all issues surrounding the implementation of the initiative and ensure full accountability.

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

“It is unacceptable that our schools remain soft targets for terrorists and kidnappers,” he said.

“We will track every naira and every dollar allocated to the Safe School Initiative, including the $30 million mobilized between 2014 and 2021, as well as the recent N144 billion released by the federal government.

“Nigerians deserve to know why, despite enormous investment and global support, our schools remain unsafe.

“The committee will undertake a comprehensive financial and operational audit, engaging federal ministries, state governments, security agencies, and civil society partners,” he added.

He stressed that the committee owes Nigerian parents a duty to ensure their children can pursue education without fear, emphasizing that the probe is not targeted at any individual or institution, but is aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability.

According to him, the areas of investigation include:
(i) Utilisation of funds allocated since 2014;
(ii) Deployment and effectiveness of security personnel;
(iii) Early warning and emergency response systems;
(iv) Infrastructure upgrades in vulnerable schools; and
(v) Partnerships with international donors and private-sector contributors.

The investigation comes in the wake of renewed national outrage following the recent kidnapping of 25 female students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, and over 200 others from St. Mary Catholic School in Niger State.