At the resumed hearing of the alleged diversion of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB) funds by former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his Finance Commissioner, Demola Banu, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission witness, Dr. Musa Dasuki, told a Kwara State High Court that the funds borrowed from SUBEB were not paid into the personal accounts of the ex-governor or his finance commissioner but rather into the state government’s account.
Dr. Dasuki further testified that the retrieved matching grants between 2013 and 2016 were used for the payment of workers’ salaries.
Last month, another witness, Abubakar Hassan, an Assistant Director of Finance at the Universal Basic Education Commission in Abuja, testified before the court in Ilorin, stating that the former governor and his commissioner were not involved in the alleged diversion of SUBEB funds. He clarified that “the duo were not signatories to the SUBEB account and therefore could not be held liable for any missing funds.”
The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC had charged Ahmed and Banu with misappropriating UBEC’s matching grants amounting to N5.78 billion between 2013 and 2019. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, at Wednesday’s court sitting, Dr. Dasuki, a retired Permanent Secretary from KWSUBEB, confirmed that the Kwara State government duly paid its 50 percent counterpart funds to SUBEB between 2013 and 2016.
“The state paid over one billion Naira in 2013, N952 million in 2014, N869 million in 2015, and N973 million in 2016 as its matching grants into the designated Skye Bank account,” he stated.
Dr. Dasuki, who is also a suspect in the case, admitted that the state government requested the withdrawal of funds from the SUBEB account as a loan to pay workers’ salaries.
During cross-examination by defence counsel Jimoh Mumuni (SAN), Dr. Dasuki reiterated that ex-Governor Ahmed and Banu were neither signatories to the SUBEB account nor members of the board.
“The loan was not granted to the then governor or his finance commissioner. Though, to the best of my knowledge, it was not repaid, the funds were primarily used to pay workers’ salaries,” he said.
He further explained that the SUBEB board, of which he was a member as Permanent Secretary and accounting officer, was responsible for financial decisions, and neither Ahmed nor Banu could legally be board members.
Earlier, when questioned by EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs, the retired Permanent Secretary admitted that the short-term loans granted to the state government affected the execution of planned SUBEB projects, which were meant to provide infrastructure for primary and junior secondary schools.
According to him, “When the state government requested a N1 billion loan to pay salaries, we initially resisted. However, after receiving assurances of repayment from statutory allocations from FAAC, we agreed. The then SUBEB Chairman, Mr. Lanre Daibu, demanded a formal request in writing. A letter was subsequently issued from the state finance ministry, and the funds were transferred to the state government’s account. The same process was applied in subsequent years.”
He further stated that in 2016, despite the development of an action plan and the payment of matching grants by both UBEC and the state government, no projects were executed. “To the best of my knowledge, there was no communication on how the funds were utilized,” he added.
During cross-examination, ex-Governor Ahmed’s counsel argued that the loans were repaid, but Dr. Dasuki disagreed.
Meanwhile, the trial continues on Thursday in Ilorin.
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