House Of Representatives Probe N43bn Safe School Initiative, Foreign Donations

The House of Representatives in Nigeria have unveiled plans to investigate the utilisation of the N43 billion Safe School Initiative and other donations. 

Breakdown of the funds accrued for the implementation of the programme showed that $20 million was donated for the take-off of the Safe School Initiative project in 2014 and as at 2018 a total of $1,720,246 (N41 billion) has been realised as donations from countries and donor agencies. 

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion on the ‘Need to investigate the failure of N2 billion Safe School Initiative Intervention Programme’ sponsored by Honourable Aniekan Umanah. 

While frowning on the plight of millions of Nigerian children out of school, Honourable Umanah observed that the activities of the insurgents and bandits had further exacerbated the already low levels of enrollment in education and literacy in the country as 910 schools have been destroyed between 2009 and 2016 while several schools have been forced to shut down due to security concerns in the last six months. 

In the bid to address the challenge, the House urged the Federal Government to collaborate with state governments to restore, revive and revalidate the safe school initiative and deploy special security personnel to schools in Nigeria. 

To this end, the House mandated the Committee on Basic Education and Services to carry out an investigation into the use of over N2 billion released for the safe school initiative alongside other donations from foreign countries and organisations and report back within six days for further legislative action.