Alausa earns Senate commendation for transparency, safe schools initiative
By Uji A. Iliyasu, Abuja
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has received commendation from the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative for his commitment to transparency, accountability and respect for parliamentary oversight.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, gave the commendation during an interactive session on the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative, which reviewed the utilisation of appropriated funds, international grants and other external support for the programme.
Kalu described Alausa as a public servant who consistently honours invitations from the National Assembly and cooperates with lawmakers in carrying out their constitutional oversight functions. He also praised the minister’s ongoing education reforms, saying they were strengthening the nation’s education system.
Responding, Alausa clarified that the funds under review, including international grants and foreign donations, were disbursed several years before he assumed office as Minister of Education. He explained that the Safe Schools Financing Unit responsible for administering the funds was then domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Finance.
He stressed, however, that the Federal Government remained committed to full accountability.
“Government is a continuum. We have a responsibility to account to Nigerians for how public resources have been managed, and we will continue to cooperate fully with the Senate,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education has established a dedicated Safe Schools Department to provide leadership, coordination and oversight for school safety programmes nationwide.
He said the department will coordinate implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative through a unified national framework covering all 774 local government areas in collaboration with security agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Alausa said the renewed initiative goes beyond physical security to include perimeter fencing, solar-powered lighting, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, surveillance technology, trained security personnel and technology-driven early warning systems.
He reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child has access to a safe and conducive learning environment, while pledging continued collaboration with the National Assembly, state governments, security agencies and other stakeholders to strengthen school safety across the country.