A prosecution witness, Mary
Anthony Bawa, on Monday, told Justice Daniel Longji of the High Court, sitting
in Jos that the approval of N2.079billion for the Plateau State Universal
Education Board (PLASUBEB) by the former governor of the state, Senator Jonah
Jang did not follow due process.
The former Plateau State
governor, Jang (first defendant) had faced 12-count charges for abuse of
office, embezzlement and money laundering to the tune of N10billion, brought
against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which the
prosecution at the resumed sitting amended to 17.
Bawa is prosecution witness
number 12 and a civil servant in the Office of the Accountant General, Plateau
State Ministry of Finance, but had served in PLASUBEB as Director Finance and
Supply, where she processed financial documents, make payments and keep
records.
The function of PLASUBEB is to
build and furnish primary and secondary schools and train teachers for
efficiency. It operates a joint account with the federal and Plateau State
Government, involving the 17 local governments of the state, from which it
receives funds.
Speaking, Bawa said: “As a
financial expert, the approval limit for the threshold for the board did not
follow due process as I am not aware that threshold limit for the sum of
N2.079billion was ever presented to the board. All that I know is that the loan
of N2.079billion was handed over to me”.
Disclosing how the funds were
disbursed, Bawa said: “On my resumption, my colleagues handed over the loan of
N2.079billion, borrowed by the previous government to me. I processed another
request to borrow N750million by following a letter and directives from the
chairman.
“It was discovered that about
N3billion was withdrawn from Plateau State, SUBEB account and first defendant
had directed that it should be borrowed from the Plateau State SUBEB account.
“We discovered that these monies
were borrowed in tranches. The first tranche was N2.079billion, which the first
defendant directed to be paid to other contractors and liabilities in the
state.”
Bawa added that another
N700million was used as classified expenditure while another N400million was
also borrowed and used for classified expenditures.
She further explained that the
official activities including renovation of schools, furnishing and buildings
of primary and secondary schools in Plateau State were suspended due to the
negative impacts of the borrowing.
“SUBEB could not carry out the
purpose of the funds as the said funds were diverted to classified expenditure,
where the second defendant withdrew cash and delivered to Jang,” the witness
said.
“Looking at Exhibit P45, another
sum of N1billion was processed via the loan procedure but only N400million was
released due to the fact that there was not sufficient money to pay for the
teachers’ salaries, which took us over four months from August 2014 to December
2014 due to the unavailability of funds,” she added.
While being led in evidence by
prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, (SAN), the PW12 said, “Before I left SUBEB
in August 2015, the non-payment of loans, ranging from N2.079billion,
N750million to N400million, etc, affected the day-to-day operations of the
educational sector negatively by slowing down the pace of work.”
One of the amended charges reads:
“That you Jonah David Jang on or about 19th June, 2014 at Jos Plateau State
whilst being the governor of Plateau State transferred by approving the sum of
N2,079, 439,219.88 for other projects and programmes of the state government
and which funds was originally allocated and contributed by the Federal
Government of Nigeria and Plateau State Government, for the improvement of
Basic Primary Education in Plateau State and you thereby committed an offence
contrary to and punishable under Section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Act 2000.”
Another of the new charges reads,
“That you Jonah David Jang on or about March 2015 at Jos Plateau State whilst
being the Governor of Plateau State transferred by approving the sum of
N900,000,000 for security and classified expenditure and which fund was
originally allocated and contributed by the local governments of Plateau State
for the payment of salaries and entitlements of primary school teachers in
Plateau State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable
under Section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act,
2000.”
The defence counsels, led by G.
Pwajok, (SAN) asked for time to review the amended charges and respond
accordingly. Justice Longji had to adjourn the matter to October 10, 2019, for
hearing on the amended charges.
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