Witness Testifies Against Ex-Kwara Governor, Finance Commissioner in N5bn Mismanagement Trial

Date: 2024-12-05

A witness, Abubakar Hassan, Assistant Director of Finance at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), testified on Wednesday that the former Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his Finance Commissioner, Engr. Ademola Banu, allegedly mismanaged over N5 billion, as reported by Daily Trust.

The trial is ongoing before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.

According to Hassan's testimony, the former governor and his finance commissioner were accused of conspiring to mismanage funds meant for the payment of teachers' salaries, security, and other infrastructural facilities under the Kwara State UBEC.

The alleged mismanagement of funds is said to have occurred during the tenure of the former governor, and the trial is aimed at determining the extent of the alleged mismanagement and holding those responsible accountable.

They were subsequently arraigned on October 21, 2024 by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

However, the duo pleaded not guilty and were admitted to bail before the case was adjourned for trial.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Hassan, the commission's first witness, while being led in evidence by counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court how about N5bn meant to execute projects at primary and junior secondary schools between 2013 and 2015, when Ahmed held sway as governor was allegedly mismanaged.

According to him, “the matching grant funds from the Universal Basic Education Commission is meant to provide certain infrastructural facilities for both students of primary and junior secondary schools. Such facilities include the construction of primary schools, provision of laboratories for students, construction of toilets, provision of water and sanitation and cultural education.”

Hassan stated that the “Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) prepared and submitted an action plan for 2013. It was defended, and approval was given to execute certain contracts in compliance with the action plan.

“The commission made lodgment for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Kwara State got matching grant of about N2bn for 2013, N876m was released for 2014 while they got N982m in 2015, totaling about N5bn.

“Implementation of 2013 Action Plan had already commenced, contractors were already mobilized to work at the site but surprisingly, during our project monitoring exercise we discovered that the monies meant for the project (2013) had been diverted by the Kwara SUBEB. We discovered that about N2bn was diverted”.

He said following the development, the report of the project monitoring committee was sent to the Kwara SUBEB, asking them to comply with recommendations of the committee, but there was no response.

“Hence, the Commission wrote to the banks to return 2014 and 2015 funds paid to the state, he added.

He said there were no activities for 2016, 2017, and 2018 due to the failure of the state to comply with UBEC's earlier recommendations about the diverted funds.

Hassan further stated that the responsibility of spending UBEC grants rested solely on SUBEB while the State Governor or anyone outside SUBEB has no dealing, directly or indirectly, in spending the fund.

Justice Abdulgafar adjourned further hearing in the case till February 17, 2025.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

TVC Female National Debate     Tuesday Assayomo     Adeola Abraham     Demola Banu     Mohammed Saidu     Bolaji Nagode     Lasiele Alabi Yahaya     Aisha Ahman Pategi     Ballah     International Aviation College     Na\'Allah     Ibikunle Ogunleye     Sanusi Abubakar     Odogun Olushola Gabriel     National Broadcasting Commission     Kwara TV     Babaloja-General     Ado Ibrahim     Kwara Volleyball Association     Agboola Babatunde     Iyabo Dupe Adekeye     Saadu Alanamu     Suleiman Mora Omar     Aishat Sulu-Gambari     Owo Isowo     Tayo Alao     Kwara Basketball Association     Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment     Babajide Ajayi     Y.A. Abdulkareem     Isiaka Alikinla     KWASAA     Kwha.gov.ng     Isiaka Abdulrazak     Rapheal Ashaolu     CBT     Bashiru Makama     Bayo Ajia     Nurudeen Muhammed     College Of Arabic And Islamic Legal Studies     Hamidu Olowo     Zulkifli Ibraheem     Abdullahi Atanda     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     Okin Malt     Jimba Babatunde     Yeketi     KWSUED     Kola Shittu     Yunus Oniboki     Zara Umar     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport Ilorin     Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq     Gbadeyan Gbadura Yomi     Atiku     Moses Rahman Popoola     Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy And Development     Issa Manzuma     Abdullateef Abdussalam     Wahab Abayawo     Oloje     Olatunde Michaels     TESCOM 2025     Shuaib Abdulkadir     Mutawali Of Ilorin     Ajike People Support Centre     Bilikisu Gambari     Mohammed Abduraheem     Olayinka Are     Abdulganiyu Oladosu     Hikmah AbdulKareem     Razaq Ayobami Akanbi     Harafat E. Mukadam     Kolawole Bashirat     Albert Ogunsola     Muhammadu Gobir     Omoniyi    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Ambassador Kayode Laro     Kwara Liberation Group     Ghali Alaaya     Hassan A. Saliu     Joseph Daudu     Abubakar Usman Jos     Taofeeq Olateju     Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu     Joana Nnazua Kolo     Baakini     Ridhwanullah Al-Ilory     Akume     Logun     Tsaragi     Mazars Consulting     Sabo-Oke     Mohammed Katsina Ahmed     Abdulkadri Ahmad Alaiye     Abdulsalam Firdaous Amosa     Monsurat Omotosho     Gaa Olobi     Salmon Babatunde Salmon     Tinubu     Kudirat Arinola Lawal     Abdulmajeed Abdullahi     Dapo Teni Nig Enterprise     Tunde Saad     Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan     Quran     Facemasks     New Nigeria People’s Party     Olosi Of Osi     Segun Adeniyi     Alfa Modibbo Belgore     Yahaya Seriki Gambari     Makama Of Ilorin     Kayode Yusuf     Sulu Gambari     Kulende     Kubra Kazum     NITDA     Funmilayo Oniwa     Abubakar Ndakene     Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara     Ilorin Emirate Staff Association     Afonja Descendants Union     Adeola Abraham     Medview Airlines     Maigida     Salman Jawondo     Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed     SWAN     Boko Haram     Mohammed Saidu     Rebecca Olanrewaju     Ilorin Curfew     Olusegun Adeniyi     Magaji Are     Abubakar Aliagan     Kaiama     Lanre Jimoh     Bilikisu Gambari     Kola Olota     Revenue Court     Saadu Gbogbo Iwe     SUBEB     Yemi Sanni     Aliyu Muyideen     Ayinde Oyepitan     Prince Sunday Fagbemi     Chemiroy Nigeria Limited     Aishatu Ahmed Gobir     Ogbondoroko     Abubakar Imam     National Information Technology Development Agency     Mahmud Ayinla Giwa     Sheikh Alimi