Senate summons finance, education ministers over collapse of $30m Safe School Initiative

The Senate, on Wednesday, summoned Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, to appear before its ad-hoc Committee, probing the collapse of the Safe School Initiative.

The Committee, chaired by Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North Senator), fixed the appearance for next Tuesday after adopting its work plan at its inaugural sitting.

Also expected to appear before the committee are Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education; Christopher Musa, retired Lt. General and Minister of Defence; Mohammed Abubakar Audi, Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and representatives of school proprietors.

Speaking after the Committee’s first meeting, Kalu said the Senate is determined to uncover the circumstances surrounding the failure of the initiative, which was launched to protect schools from attacks.

He lamented that, despite substantial local and international funding, Nigeria continues to witness high levels of school-related abductions and attacks.

Kalu disclosed that more than 1,680 schoolchildren had been kidnapped and about 180 educational facilities targeted since 2014.

He described the trend 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,” he said. “We will track every naira and every dollar allocated to the Safe School Initiative, including the $30 million mobilised between 2014 and 2021, and the recent N144 billion released by the Federal Government.

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

He added that the Committee would conduct a full financial and operational audit and engage Federal Ministries, State Governments, Security Agencies and Civil Society Partners to establish what went wrong and how to correct it.

Kalu emphasised that the probe was not meant to witch-hunt any individual or institution but to strengthen transparency and accountability.

He noted that the Senate owes Nigerian parents a duty to ensure that their children can go to school without fear.

The investigation was prompted by 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 students from St. Mary Catholic School in Niger State.