The sixth prosecution witness in the ongoing fraud trial involving a former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed and former commissioner for finance, Engr. Ademola Banu, yesterday corroborated earlier testimonies on the borrowing of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds by the Abdulfatah administration to pay salaries of workers and pensioners.
Testifying in the court yesterday, Suleiman Ishola, who served as accountant general of the state between 2013 and 2019, told Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin that N1 billion being a matching grant from UBEC was borrowed by the Abdulfatah administration in 2015 to pay salaries of civil servants and pensioners.
Ishola’s testimony aligned with that of a former chairman of SUBEB, Barr. Lanre Daibu, who had earlier appeared before the court on Thursday.
Daibu had disclosed that he received a formal request from the state government to borrow N1bn from the 2013 UBEC matching grant to settle outstanding salaries and pensions.
Daibu stated that he initially hesitated to approve the request, knowing that UBEC funds are strictly for projects outlined in the action plan and not to be diverted for any other use. However, he said the request was eventually granted, noting that the loan was never repaid during his tenure.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, Ishola, while being led in evidence by counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), recounted how he became aware of the transaction.
He said he was copied in a letter confirming the governor’s approval of the loan.
“At a point, I was copied with a letter that the sum of N1bn had been borrowed from the Kwara State SUBEB.
The essence of the loan was to pay salaries of civil servants and pensioners. I received the letter containing the approval by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed from the commissioner for finance, Alhaji Ademola Banu.”
He further confirmed that the N1bn was credited to the state’s salaries account at Polaris Bank PLC. However, he said the amount was insufficient to cover the entire wage bill, prompting the use of an additional N740m from existing funds to meet salary obligations.
Testifying further, Ishola stated that in 2016, he received a directive from the second defendant, Ademola Banu, to liquidate the loan and that the fund was subsequently repaid as reflected in the state’s account records.
He also explained how he was invited by the EFCC, where he was confronted with vouchers indicating another loan of N850m allegedly taken by the state government. Further hearing of the case was adjourned to June 10 – 11, 2025.
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