How ex-Kwara Governor, allegedly squandered N5bn UBEC fund – witness
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
The trial of the immediate past Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu, over the alleged misappropriation of public funds amounting to N5.78 billion, began on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.
The former governor and his finance commissioner are accused of conspiring to steal funds intended for the payment of salaries for teachers at the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC), as well as funds earmarked for providing security and other infrastructure for the state. They were arraigned on October 21, 2024, by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
However, both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them. Consequently, they were granted bail, and the case was adjourned for trial.
During the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the EFCC presented its first witness, Abubakar Hassan, an assistant director of finance at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), who testified as Prosecution Witness 1 (PW1).
Led in evidence by the EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Hassan told the court that the Kwara State Government had allegedly misappropriated about N5 billion, which was meant to fund projects at primary and junior secondary schools between 2013 and 2015, during Abdulfatah Ahmed’s tenure as governor.
Hassan explained that the Matching Grant Funds from UBEC are designated for providing infrastructural facilities at primary and junior secondary schools. These facilities include the construction of school buildings, provision of laboratories, construction of toilets, and the provision of water, sanitation, and cultural education.
He further noted that the primary objective of UBEC, established in 2004, is to ensure that no Nigerian child is denied basic education, which spans from primary school through junior secondary school.
Regarding the process for accessing grants from the Commission, Hassan stated, “UBEC law provides that the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, its Executive Secretary, and the Director of Finance are signatories to the Matching Grants Accounts, which are opened with any commercial bank or the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
He added that for a state to access grants from UBEC, it must prepare action plans (budgets), defend the projects, and secure approval before funds can be released.
Testifying further, Hassan explained that the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) had prepared and submitted an action plan for 2013, which was defended and approved for the execution of specific contracts in compliance with the plan.
Hassan disclosed that UBEC had made lodgments for 2013, 2014, and 2015, with Kwara State receiving a Matching Grant of approximately N2 billion for 2013, N876 million for 2014, and N982 million for 2015, totaling about N5 billion.
He revealed that “While implementation of the 2013 Action Plan had already commenced, with contractors mobilized to the sites, a project monitoring exercise later discovered that the funds meant for the 2013 projects had been diverted by the Kwara SUBEB. Approximately N2 billion was found to have been misappropriated.”
Following this discovery, Hassan said the project monitoring committee submitted a report to Kwara SUBEB, urging them to comply with the recommendations. However, there was no response. Consequently, the Commission wrote to the banks, demanding the return of the funds for 2014 and 2015.
He also stated that there were no activities for 2016, 2017, and 2018 due to the state’s failure to comply with the earlier recommendations regarding the diverted funds.
Justice Abdulgafar adjourned the case until February 17, 2025, for further hearing.
