Reps probe ‘mismanagement’ of safe school initiative fund

The house of representatives has resolved to probe alleged mismanagement of the safe school initiative (SSI) fund in the north-east.

This followed a motion raised during plenary on Wednesday by Shuaibu Abdulrahman, a lawmaker from Adamawa state.

The SSI was launched as a global intervention fund in 2014 under the leadership of Gordon Brown, former British prime minister, after the abduction of the Chibok school girls.

The initiative was launched with an initial N3.2 billion to ensure a safer school environment for Nigerian children.

Abdulrahman said there was no evidence that schools in the north-east are being secured or fortified with CCTV cameras, high perimeter fence and generators as provided in the original concept of the initiative.

He said the absence of security infrastructure in the north-east schools was what led to the recent abduction of students of Government Secondary School in Dapchi, Yobe state, by Boko Haram insurgents.

“This (the kidnap) brought about embarrassment and attendant trauma on Nigeria,” he said.

The lawmaker, therefore, urged the house to investigate the funds collected and find out whether it has been judiciously used or not.

The motion was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers after which the committee on internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees and initiatives on the north-east was asked to carry out the investigation and report back to the house.