Senate Invites Finance, Education Ministers over Inquest into Failed $30M Safe School Initiative

The Senate has invited the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to appear before its Ad Hoc Committee investigating the ‘collapse’ of the $30 million Safe School Initiative.

Also expected to appear before the committee are the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; the Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.); the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, and representatives of school proprietors.

The appearance is scheduled for Tuesday next week.

The invitations, given yesterday, followed the adoption of the committee’s work plan during its maiden meeting.

The panel, chaired by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), is probing why the multi-million-dollar initiative launched in 2014 to protect schools from violent attacks failed to achieve its objectives despite significant funding from government and international donors.

Addressing reporters after the inaugural sitting, Senator Kalu promised that the Senate would “unravel all issues surrounding the implementation of the Safe School Initiative and ensure full accountability.

He described Nigeria’s persistent vulnerability of schools to violent attacks as a national embarrassment.

Kalu said no fewer than 1,680 school children have been kidnapped and 180 educational facilities attacked since 2014.

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

The chairman promised that his committee would scrutinise every fund released for the initiative, including the $30 million mobilised between 2014 and 2021 and the recent N144 billion allocated by the Federal Government.

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

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

He emphasised that the probe was not instituted to witch-hunt but a necessary step to strengthen accountability and ensure Nigerian children can learn without fear.

“We owe parents the assurance that their children can go to school safely,” he said.

The areas of investigation include: Utilisation of funds allocated since 2014, deployment and effectiveness of security personnel, early warning and emergency response mechanisms, Infrastructure upgrades in vulnerable schools and partnerships with international donors and private-sector contributors.

The Senate’s action followed renewed national outrage after the recent abduction of 25 female students from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, and more than 200 students from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri in Niger State.

Kalu said his committee was determined to get to the root of the Safe School Initiative’s collapse and recommend reforms that will restore confidence in the nation’s education security framework.