Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

At the resumed hearing of alleged diversion of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB) funds by ex- Kwara state Governor Abdu lFatah Ahmed and his Finance Commissioner, Mr. Demola Banu, Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) witness, Dr. Musa Dasuki, Wednesday told a state High Court that the duo didn’t pay funds borrowed from SUBEB into the personal accounts of ex- governor Ahmed and his former Finance Commissioner, Mr. Banu but rather into the account of the state government.

The EFCC witness however said that the retrieved matching grants of between 2013 and 2016 was used to pay workers’ salaries.

Mr. Abubakar Hassan, last month at the court in Ilorin testified in the trial of former governor Ahmed and Banu, absolvedfrom the alleged diversion of the State’s Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) fund.

Mr. Hassan, assistant director Finance, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Abuja, stated that, “The duo are not signatories to the account of SUBEB and cannot be allegedly liable for the missing of the funds.”

Ilorin zonal Directorate of EFCC had dragged the duo to court accusing them of misappropriation of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC’s) matching grants of N5.78 billion between 2013 and 2019.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

However, at the sitting of the court yesterday, Dr. Dasuki, a retried Permanent Secretary from KWSUBEB, said, “the state paid its 50 percent counterpart funds to SUBEB between 2013 and 2016 without default.

“The state paid over one billion naira in 2013, N952 million, N869 million and N973 million in 2015, 2015 and 2016 respectively as its marching grants to Skye Bank designated account”.

The witness, who is also suspect in the case, added that the state government requested for the withdrawal of the funds from the Skye Bank designated account as loan for the payment of workers salaries.

The Veterinary Surgeon told the court during cross-examination by the former governor’s counsel Jimoh Mumuni (SAN) that ex-governor Ahmed and Mr Banu were neither signatories to SUBEB’s account nor board members.

“The loan was not granted to the then governor Ahmed nor his commissioner for finance

“Though the loan was not repaid to the best of my knowledge, but was essentially granted to pay workers salaries.

“The SUBEB has a board. I was a member as a permanent secretary and the accounting officer of the board. The two of them were not members of the board. They cannot be members by the virtue of the law establishing the board.”

Earlier, when examined by EFCC Counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, the retired permanent secretary, said that the short term loans granted SUBEB to the state government in those years marred the execution of those projects.

The projects were the provision of infrastructure facilities to both primary and junior secondary schools in the state.

According to him, “When the state government requested for the N1 billion loan to pay workers salaries, we did not initially agree, but having got the assurance of repayment after receipt of statutory allocation from FAAC in Abuja, we agreed.

“The executive Chairman of SUBEB then, Mr Lanre Daibu, demanded for written letter to formalise the deal.

“A letter was subsequently written from the state commissioner office to that effect. Afterwards, we transferred to the state government’s account. The same process applied to the succeeding years .

“In 2016, though we developed action plan and both parties – UBEC and the state government, paid their counterpart funds/matching grants. We did not carry out any project. To the best of my knowledge we did not get any communication on how the fund was utilised.”

“Ex-governor’s counsel put it to the witness that the loans were repaid, but the ex-perm sec disagreed”.

Meanwhile, the trial continues today (Thursday) in Ilorin.

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