Senate has constituted an 18-member adhoc committee led by former Abia State governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to investigate the implementation of the Safe School Initiative in the country.
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio who announced this during plenary on Thursday, named members of the committee as Senators Tony Nwoye, Yemi Adaramodu, Harry Ipalibo, Ede Dafinone, Mustapha Saliu, Diket Plang, Binus Yaroe, Kaka Shehu, and Musa Garba Maidoki, among others.
Composition of the committee was sequel to the demand by lawmakers following the recent abductions of 25 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga in Kebbi State.
Senators had questioned how funds allocated to the initiative have been utilised, given the continued attacks on educational institutions across the country.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC Kebbi North) had in an urgent motion said the abduction of the female pupils and killing of the School Vice Principal by bandits was a dirty slap on the face of nation which must be seriously looked into and urgently addressed.
“This is a wake up call for the country as far as security and safety are concerned, because a nation that cannot secure its children is not worth living in,” he said.
The need for probe of the Safe School Programme implemented after the Chibock girls abduction in 2014, was suggested by the President of 9th Senate, and now, chairman of the Committee on Defence, Dr. Ahmad Lawan (APC Yobe North), in his contribution.
According to him, “since schools are not yet safe and secured for our pupils, there is need to probe the fund given and how expended that the expected results, are not being received.”
The Senate mandated the adhoc committee to conduct a thorough investigation on safe school fund instituted in 2014 and report back within four weeks.