How Abdulfatah Ahmed, Former Kwara Governor, Allegedly Misappropriated N5bn UBEC Fund: Witness Testifies

The trial of Abdulfatah Ahmed, the former Governor of Kwara State, and his Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu, over alleged embezzlement and mismanagement of public funds amounting to N5.78 billion, commenced on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.

The charges against Ahmed and Banu include conspiring to misappropriate funds intended for the payment of salaries to teachers at the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), as well as funds allocated for the provision of security and other infrastructure in the state. These accusations led to their arraignment by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 21, 2024.

Both the former governor and the finance commissioner pleaded not guilty to the charges. They were granted bail, and the trial was adjourned to a later date.

At the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday, the EFCC presented its first witness, Abubakar Hassan, an assistant director of finance at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). Hassan, while testifying under the guidance of EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that the Kwara State Government allegedly misappropriated approximately N5 billion in UBEC funds allocated for educational infrastructure projects between 2013 and 2015, during Ahmed’s tenure as governor.

Hassan explained that the Matching Grant Funds provided by UBEC were intended to fund infrastructural improvements at primary and junior secondary schools, including building constructions, laboratory provisions, toilets, water and sanitation facilities, and cultural education initiatives.

The witness further clarified that UBEC was established in 2004 with the primary goal of ensuring that every Nigerian child has access to basic education, which includes both primary and junior secondary school education.

Hassan outlined the procedures for accessing UBEC grants, stating that the law requires the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the Executive Secretary, and the Director of Finance to be signatories to the Matching Grants Accounts, which can be held at any commercial bank or the Central Bank of Nigeria. Before accessing the grants, the state must submit and defend an action plan (budget) for the proposed projects, which must be approved by UBEC.

Testifying further, Hassan stated that Kwara State’s SUBEB had prepared and submitted an action plan for 2013, which was defended and subsequently approved. UBEC then released Matching Grant funds: approximately N2 billion for 2013, N876 million for 2014, and N982 million for 2015, amounting to a total of about N5 billion.

However, Hassan revealed a shocking discovery during a routine project monitoring exercise. He stated that, despite the commencement of projects for the 2013 action plan, including mobilization of contractors, it was found that the funds designated for these projects had been diverted. He disclosed that nearly N2 billion allocated for the 2013 projects had been misappropriated by Kwara SUBEB officials.

This testimony is part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged theft and mismanagement of funds, which has now reached the courtroom.