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“It was discovered that about N3billion was withdrawn from Plateau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.