Alleged N5.78b Fraud: SUBEB 2013 contracts implemented in Kwara, EFCC witness tells Court
The Project Manager of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) between 1998 and 2017, Engineer Abdulsamad Olanrewaju Abdulsalam, at the resumed hearing on Thursday, told the state High Court in Ilorin that all the infrastructural projects carried out by the SUBEB in 2013 were implemented beyond the expectation of the agency.
Abdulsalam, who was the third Economic and Financial Crimes Commussion (EFCC) witness stated this while being cross-examined by the former governor Ahmed’s counsel, Mr. Mumuni Jimoh(SAN) at the ongoing trial of ex- Kwara State governor AbdulFatah Ahmed and his finance commissioner, Mr. Demola Banu over alleged diversion of N5.78 billion Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund in the state.
The Ilorin zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought the two of them who were physically present before the court.
The duo had, however, 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.
However, Abdulsalam during cross-examination by the former governor Ahmed’s counsel, Mr.Jimoh(SAN) told the court that he was in charge of the infrastructure needs of public primary and junior secondary schools in the state.
Abdulsalam stated, “I became the Director of Physical Planning in 2018.
“And I must do the condition survey of schools as well as the population of students. I don’t know anything about administration.
“UBEC monitoring team from Abuja came to supervise the extent of job done by the contractors in 2013 and they were satisfied.
“And, I didn’t know anything other than my office schedules on the projects as all the infrastructure projects were implemented without any hindrance and the contractors were paid.
All the jobs were executed beyond the expectations of the management of UBEC that came from Abuja and the SUBEB management in Kwara state” he said
The trained civil engineer also revealed that signatories to SUBEB’s account were the accountant, the permanent secretary and the executive chairman of the board and not the former governor Ahmed and his former Finance Commissioner, Mr. Banu.
The third witness called by the EFCC in the case, Mr. Olanrewaju also told the court that UBEC approved the 2014 and 2015 action plan presented to it by Kwara state SUBEB, adding that the contractors that handled the 2013 projects were eventually paid their money after they had protested delayed in payment.
Counsel to EFCC Rotimi Jacobs(SAN) led the third witness in evidence in court.
Earlier, the second EFCC witness Dr. Musa Dasuki 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 done before giving out SUBEB funds to the then Kwara state government between 2013 and 2016.
Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar adjourned further hearing on the case till April 12, this year
