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From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
The Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) Programme has intensified its probe into the administration of billions of naira allocated to securing Nigerian schools, expanding its investigation to cover financial flows, donor funding, operational bottlenecks and accountability mechanisms across key government institutions.
At Friday’s investigative hearing at the National Assembly, Abuja, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, declared that the Senate would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that every kobo appropriated for the protection of Nigerian students and educational institutions is properly accounted for.
The committee received the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, alongside senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Education, including the Permanent Secretary, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Finance and directors overseeing Safe Schools Financing and School Safety.
Later in the day, the Committee met with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and members of his delegation.
In his opening remarks, Senator Kalu explained that while the committee was originally constituted to investigate the implementation and funding of the Safe Schools Initiative Programme, preliminary findings had necessitated an expansion of its mandate.
According to him, the investigation will now comprehensively evaluate financial flows, operational efficiency, accountability frameworks and structural challenges across ministries, departments and agencies connected to the programme.
“We are not here for a witch-hunt,” Kalu stated. “This is a constitutional responsibility under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. Our mandate is to ensure financial discipline, value for money and ultimately protect Nigerian students and vulnerable citizens.”
The former Senate Chief Whip noted that because of the sensitive nature of school security and the country’s security challenges, portions of the deliberations would be held behind closed doors.
“Banditry, terrorism and attacks on schools are matters of national security. We will not discuss sensitive operational issues in public because we do not want to expose information that could be useful to criminals,” he said.
He emphasised that the government remains a continuum irrespective of changes in political leadership or appointments.
“Whether these funds were released before the present ministers assumed office or not, government remains responsible for accounting for every kobo entrusted to it. That is why this committee is carrying out this assignment.”
Kalu further stressed that ministers owe Nigerians accountability through their representatives in Parliament.
“This is the seat of democracy. Every minister appointed by the executive must be accountable to the representatives of the Nigerian people. No minister should ignore invitations from the National Assembly because oversight is a constitutional responsibility.”
He commended both ministers for consistently honouring invitations from the National Assembly, describing such actions as a demonstration of respect for democratic institutions.
Education minister defends reforms, transfers safe schools programme
Speaking before the committee, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to securing educational institutions across Nigeria.
“The President has made it clear that the security of our children, teachers and schools is non-negotiable,” he said. “Security of lives, security of property and the protection of our national sovereignty remain top priorities of this administration.”
He described education as the cornerstone of the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and disclosed that most of the financial transactions currently under investigation predated his appointment as minister.
According to Alausa, nearly all the major disbursements being investigated occurred between five and seven years ago.
“Since I assumed office, the only significant disbursements have been targeted interventions to security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, administered through the Federal Ministry of Finance,” he explained.
The minister disclosed that one of his administration’s major reforms was establishing a full-fledged Safe Schools Department within the Federal Ministry of Education, replacing what was previously a relatively small unit.
He further revealed that shortly after assuming office, he formally requested the transfer of the Safe Schools Initiative’s financing component from the Federal Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Education.
“When I became Minister of Education, I wrote to the then Minister of Finance requesting that the Safe Schools financing structure be moved to the Ministry of Education,” he said. “Although there was support for the idea, administrative constraints delayed the process.”
Alausa confirmed that the transfer process has now been completed.
“Today, the Safe Schools Initiative is officially domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Education. We have also established a dedicated Safe Schools Department to coordinate policy, implementation and monitoring.”
He disclosed that the ministry is currently collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to develop a comprehensive national framework for school safety.
According to him, the initiative goes beyond deploying security personnel to schools.
“Safe Schools are much broader than physical security. It includes perimeter fencing, solar-powered lighting, water and sanitation facilities, recruitment of school security personnel, deployment of technology and the establishment of effective monitoring systems.”
The minister maintained that school safety requires central coordination and collaboration with state governments to guarantee nationwide implementation.
Senators demand accountability, rule out witch-hunt
Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Sahabi Yau, commended the minister for appearing before the committee and supported the decision to hold sensitive discussions in executive session.
“We are ready to account for every intervention within our knowledge,” he said. “At the same time, we must protect information that concerns national security.”
Other members of the committee emphasised that Parliament was merely carrying out its constitutional responsibilities and noted that what began as a noble intervention programme may have suffered implementation challenges requiring legislative scrutiny.
Senator Anthony Ani observed that while the current minister inherited many of the issues under investigation, institutions must remain accountable for their actions.
“The government is continuous, and institutions must account for past actions so that future public officials will understand the importance of transparency and responsibility,” he stated.
Finance minister pledges full transparency
Addressing the committee, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, pledged the ministry’s full cooperation with the Senate’s investigation.
He described the Safe Schools Initiative as a critical national priority requiring collective commitment from both the executive and legislative arms of government.
“This is not just about today; it is about the future of our country,” Oyedele said. “We want every student to be able to go to school knowing that the country is able to protect them, and their teachers as well.”
He acknowledged that issues relating to the timeliness of funding releases and transparency mechanisms require continuous improvements, adding that efforts were already underway to strengthen accountability within the programme.
“On our part, we are committed to transparency. We are committed to working with the National Assembly to address any issues that we may find, whether those issues happened before my appointment or not.”
Echoing Senator Kalu’s position, the Finance Minister noted that government is a continuum and that public officials must accept responsibility for the institutions they lead.
“Whenever we find anything that has not been done properly, it is for us to acknowledge it and find solutions so that going forward, everything will be better and the Nigerian people will be the beneficiaries.”
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Oyedele explained that school safety remains a shared responsibility involving the Federal Government, state governments and multiple federal institutions.
He clarified that the management of intervention funds through the Federal Ministry of Finance was largely a function of existing government financial structures rather than institutional rivalry.
“What is even the priority for us is how we ensure that funding is adequate and monies are released on time so that some of these crimes can be prevented rather than us trying to do damage control,” he said.
The minister further appealed for greater national unity in confronting insecurity, cautioning against narratives that inadvertently undermine government efforts to combat terrorism and criminality.
Senate expands investigation
The Senate Committee disclosed that its expanded investigation will scrutinise budgetary allocations and actual releases from 2023 to date, intervention and co-funding mechanisms, international donor funding directed towards the Safe Schools Initiative, challenges affecting fund disbursements and proposals for structural reforms.
The committee subsequently adjourned into executive session with both ministers to deliberate on sensitive operational and security-related matters excluded from public proceedings.
Friday’s hearing marks a significant escalation in the Senate’s oversight of the Safe Schools Initiative and signals Parliament’s determination to establish a transparent financial trail for funds earmarked for protecting Nigeria’s schools.
With the Senate broadening its mandate and both ministers pledging full cooperation, Nigerians may soon receive clearer answers regarding how resources allocated for one of the country’s most critical educational and security interventions have been managed over the years.
