“Kwara UBEC Grant Case: EFCC Reveals Mismanagement of N5.78 Billion Funds”
At the resumed hearing of the case against former Kwara State Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed and his Finance Commissioner, Demola Banu, for the alleged diversion of N5.78 billion in Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) matching grants, an EFCC witness, Abubakar Hassan, testified on Monday, February 17, that neither Ahmed nor Banu was a signatory to the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB)’s account.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged the duo before the Ilorin High Court, Kwara State, for the misappropriation of the UBEC matching grants between 2013 and 2019. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During the cross-examination, Abubakar Hassan, Assistant Director of Finance at UBEC, confirmed that neither Ahmed nor Banu was a signatory to the SUBEB account. He explained that the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board operates as an autonomous agency, independent of the state government’s finances, with a separate board and executive chair in charge.
“States’ SUBEBs have their own distinct accounts, separate from the state government’s, and governors are not permitted to be members of the SUBEB board,” Hassan said, clarifying that the state’s governor does not have authority over these funds. He added that UBEC matching grants are directly paid into SUBEB accounts, and the agency is responsible for managing and disbursing them according to the law.
Hassan also detailed how the UBEC’s project monitoring committee uncovered widespread mismanagement of funds intended for 51 approved projects in Kwara. These projects, meant to support education in the state, were either abandoned or never executed due to alleged mishandling of resources by the state government.
Hassan shared that the UBEC monitoring committee discovered that, despite the projects’ approval in 2013, they were abandoned, and no response was received when UBEC sent a formal letter to Governor Ahmed in May 2018 requesting action. “The projects were scattered across all 16 local government areas of Kwara,” he added.
The EFCC witness further revealed that a loan of N1 billion was withdrawn from the 2013 UBEC matching grant account with Skye Bank Plc on January 6, 2015, to pay state staff salaries and pensions. Additionally, the Kwara SUBEB had illegally withdrawn over N1.8 billion in funds on February 18, 2016, which were meant to be used for the state’s education projects.
Further testimony highlighted that UBEC had requested documents from the Kwara State Government, and although they submitted records, no substantial evidence was provided regarding the proper use of the funds.
“State matching grants are not allowed to be used for any purpose other than the approved action plan. These infractions undermined the objectives of UBEC,” Hassan concluded.
The presiding judge, Justice Mahmud, adjourned the case until March 12 and 13 for further proceedings.
