The Senate has summoned the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to appear before Ad- hoc Committee investigating the collapse of Safe School Initiative.
Other stakeholders summoned by the Senate are the Minister of Education, Mr Tunji Alausa, 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.
Others are Department of State Services (DSS), the Police and representatives of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), as the Committee commenced an investigation into the Safe School Initiative (SSI), expressing deep concern over the programme’s failure to curb persistent attacks and mass abductions in Nigerian schools despite years of funding and policy commitments.
The Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee and former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, during the inaugural meeting of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee set up to carry out the investigation, vowed that the Senate would unravel all issues surrounding the initiative’s implementation and ensure full accountability.
Kalu noted that over 1,680 schoolchildren had 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. 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,” Kalu said.
According to him, the key areas to be reviewed under the investigation include: utilisation of funds allocated since 2014; Deployment and effectiveness of security personnel, Early warning and emergency response systems; Infrastructure upgrades in vulnerable schools and Partnerships with international donors and private-sector contributors.
Kalu stressed that the probe was not targeted at any individual or institution, but aimed at strengthening accountability, saying: “This is not a witch-hunt. We owe Nigerian parents the responsibility to guarantee that their children can pursue education without fear. We will not rest until we get answers.”
The committee according to him, owes Nigerian parents the responsibility to guarantee that their children can pursue education without fear just as he stressed that the probe is not targeted at any individual or institution, but aimed at strengthening accountability and transparency .
The Senate presided by Godswill Akpabio, had last week, constituted an 18-member Ad-hoc Committee chaired by Kalu. Other members include Senators Tony Nwoye, Yemi Adaramodu, Harry Ipalibo, Ede Dafinone, Mustapha Saliu, Diket Plang, Binus Yaroe, Kaka Shehu, and Musa Garba Maidoki, among others.
The Committee has four weeks to submit a detailed report and recommendations for overhauling the Safe School Initiative.
