The trial of the ex-Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed, and his Finance Commissioner, Demola Banu, for alleged diversion of N5.78 billion Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund has continued at the State High Court, Ilorin.
The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the two of them in court, while the
duo pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
Though, the State paid its counterpart fund, otherwise known as marching grants of N952 million and N869 million to the Skye Bank designated account in 2014 and 2015, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) did not give out any contract.
The third witness called by the EFCC in the case, Engr Abdulsalam Olanrewaju told the court that UBEC approved the 2014 and 2015 action plan presented to it by the Kwara State SUBEB, adding that the contractors that handled the 2013 projects were eventually paid their money after they had protested the delay in payment.
Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, led the third witness in evidence in court.
Engr Olanrewaju, the Project Manager of SUBEB between 1998 and 2017, said he was in charge of the infrastructure needs of public primary and junior secondary schools in the State
.
“I became the Director of Physical Planning in 2018. And my duty is to do the condition survey of schools as well as the population of students. I don’t know anything about administration. The UBEC monitoring team from Abuja came to supervise the extent of job done by the contractors in 2013 and they were satisfied. The job done was beyond expectation,” he added.
During cross-examination by ex-Governor Ahmed’s counsel, Mumuni Jimoh (SAN), the trained civil engineer revealed that signatories to SUBEB’s account were the Accountant, Permanent Secretary and Executive Chairman of the board.
Earlier, the second witness, Dr. Musa Dasuki, had told the court that marching grants from both UBEC and SUBEB could not be used for any other purposes than for the infrastructural needs of primary and junior secondary schools to ensure that ‘every child count.’
During cross examination by Banu’s counsel Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), Dr Dasuki said: “It is wrongful to give out the board’s funds as loan to anybody. Marching grants cannot be used for any other purposes. SUBEB is like a parastatal with executive chair, secretary and other permanent members.”
He hinted that no board meeting was held before giving out SUBEB funds to the then Kwara State government between 2013 and 2016.