In the ongoing trial of Kwara State’s former governor, Mallam Abdulfatah Ahmed, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has presented testimony revealing how the ex-governor allegedly misappropriated the N5 billion grant meant for the state’s Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) projects.
The trial, which also involves Ahmed’s Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu, centers on the alleged theft and mismanagement of public funds amounting to N5.78 billion.
The two men stand accused of conspiring to steal funds allocated for teachers’ salaries, as well as for security and infrastructure projects under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
On Wednesday, the case resumed before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.
While both Ahmed and Banu pleaded not guilty to the charges, they were granted bail, and the case was adjourned for further proceedings.
During the hearing, the EFCC presented its first Principal Witness (PW1), Abubakar Hassan, an Assistant Director of Finance at UBEC.
Hassan testified that the Kwara State Government, under Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, diverted around N5 billion meant for various educational projects between 2013 and 2015.
Hassan, led in evidence by EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs, explained that the matching grant funds from UBEC were designated for the development of primary and junior secondary schools.
“The Matching Grant Funds from UBEC are meant to provide certain infrastructural facilities for students in primary and junior secondary schools. These facilities include the construction of schools, provision of laboratories, construction of toilets, water and sanitation, and cultural education,” Hassan said.
Hassan went on to outline the procedure for obtaining such grants, stating, “UBEC law provides that the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, its Executive Secretary, and the Director of Finance are signatories to Matching Grant Accounts. The account is opened with any commercial bank or the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
The witness further revealed that the state government received substantial grants for the years 2013 to 2015, totaling about N5 billion.
“The Commission made lodgments for 2013, 2014, and 2015, leading to the state receiving Matching Grants of about N2 billion for 2013, N876 million for 2014, and N982 million for 2015, totaling about N5 billion,” Hassan stated.
However, Hassan’s investigation uncovered significant discrepancies in how the funds were used. “Implementation of the 2013 Action Plan had commenced, and contractors were mobilized to sites.
However, during our project monitoring exercise, we discovered that funds for the 2013 projects had been diverted by SUBEB. About N2 billion was diverted,” Hassan testified.
Upon discovering the diversion, Hassan said that a project monitoring committee report was submitted to Kwara SUBEB with recommendations for corrective action.
However, no response was received. Consequently, UBEC sent formal requests to banks, asking them to return the funds meant for the 2014 and 2015 projects.
Hassan added that no projects were initiated in 2016, 2017, and 2018 because the state government failed to comply with the initial recommendations concerning the diverted funds.
He stressed that UBEC’s law placed the responsibility for the management of the funds solely on SUBEB, with no involvement from the state governor or any other external party.
The court adjourned the hearing until February 17, 2025, for further proceedings in the case.
