N5.78bn Kwara UBEC Funds Spent On Salaries, Loans, Road Projects

The trial of former Kwara State governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, over alleged diversion of N5.78 billion Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds resumed yesterday with fresh revelations before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin.

Testifying as the sixth prosecution witness, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) , Stanley Ujilibo, told the court that funds released to the state government for 2013, 2014 and 2015 were not utilised in line with the action plans submitted by the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

Ahmed and Banu are being prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, over an alleged diversion of part of N5.78 billion UBEC funds contrary to the purpose for which the funds were released.

Led in evidence by Adebisi Adeniyi of the chambers of Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the witness informed the court that the Kwara SUBEB had presented detailed action plans outlining various educational projects across the state, backed with evidence of its counterpart funding, to persuade the Federal Government through UBEC to release the matching grants for the benefit of pupils in primary and junior secondary schools.

“My Lord, a team of officials from the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB comprising the Chairman, Director, Finance and Account, Project Manager and top management officials went to Abuja to defend the action plans for 2013, 2014 and 2015, stating the deplorable state of Kwara State Primary and Junior Secondary Education across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State”, Ujilibo told the court.

However, the witness disclosed that investigations revealed that the money was moved from the UBEC matching grant accounts into the Kwara State Government’s central account domiciled in a commercial bank.

He added that while a portion of the funds was spent on projects such as the reconstruction of Omosebi Bridge, Coca-Cola Road Bridge, Michael Imoudu/Afon Junction Road, Lafiagi Township Road and the rehabilitation of the Ilorin water supply network, these projects had no direct link to basic education.

He further told the court that the sum N952,297,297.30 being the UBEC fund for 2014 was used for principal liquidation of loan.

He added that, a request allegedly signed by the second defendant (Banu) sought approval to obtain a ₦1bn loan from SUBEB counterpart funds to augment workers’ salaries.

According to the witness, the funds meant for improving infrastructure and learning conditions in primary and junior secondary schools were ultimately deployed for purposes outside their statutory mandate and without direct benefit to pupils.