The Ministers of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun and his Education counterpart, Tunji Alausa, have been summoned by the Senate over the failure of the Safe School Initiative.
The Senate Ad-hoc committee investigating the collapse of the programme made the move following the adoption of its work plan during a maiden meeting held on Wednesday, at which the ministers were notified to appear before it on Tuesday next week.
Summoning the Minister of Finance by the Ad-hoc committee headed by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), said the panel would unravel all issues surrounding the initiative’s implementation and ensure full accountability. Aside from the Minister of Finance, other critical stakeholders of the collapsed initiatives slated for summoning are the Minister of Education, Minister of Defence, Lt – Gen Christopher Musa, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar Audi and representatives of school proprietors.
Briefing journalists at the inaugural sitting, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee noted that over 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped and 180 educational facilities attacked since 2014, describing the situation as “unacceptable for a nation committed to educational development 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, some of which were the $30million mobilised between 2014 and 2021 aside the latest N144billion released for the initiative 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 said.
He noted that the committee owes Nigerian parents the responsibility to guarantee that their children can pursue education without fear, stressing that the probe is not targeted at any individual or institution, but aimed at strengthening accountability and transparency.
Areas of investigation, according to him, are (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 follows fresh national outrage triggered by the recent abduction of 25 female students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State and over 200 others in St Mary Catholic School in Niger State.
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