Jamilu Abdullahi, a Bureau de Change, BDC, operator, has revealed how he exchanged naira brought to him by agents of Kogi State Government for the payment of school fees of the daughters of former governor, Yahaya Bello to dollars.

Abdullahi revealed this while speaking as the third prosecution witness in the trial of Ali Bello, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja on 18-count charges of money laundering and misappropriation to the tune of over N3 billion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In a cross-examination by Ali Bello’s counsel, A.M. Aliyu SAN, Abdullahi affirmed that a dollar equivalent in cash was exchanged for each tranche of naira brought to him: “I made it clear that it was cash that was brought to my office for payment of the school fees,” he said,

An effort by the defence to evaluate a WhatsApp conversation between the witness and the second defendant, Abba Adaudu as evidence, was objected to by prosecution counsel Abbas Mohammed, who argued that the copy of the WhatsApp conversation was unknown to the court.
Consequently, the defence requested an adjournment to enable it to furnish the prosecution with the WhatsApp chat.

Justice Egwuatu granted the request and adjourned the matter till November 6, 2024 for continuation of trial.

Ali Bello, cousin to Yahaya Bello is being prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alongside Adaudu, Yakubu Adabenege and Iyada Sadat.

Edo Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said he is leaving office as the governor of the State very satisfied having undertaken bold reforms and projects that have transformed critical areas of the State.

He said this on Tuesday, when he led his Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah and former governor of Sokoto State, Senator Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and other dignitaries to commission various projects in the State.

He listed his various achievements to include reforms in education, healthcare, economy, infrastructure and job creation, among others, and improving the livelihoods of the people and placing the State on the path of growth and economic prosperity.

Some of the projects commissioned include the Benin Technical College and some internal roads within the college spanning over 12 kilometers as well as the Edo State Education Hub which houses the Ministry of Education, Directorate of Educational Quality and Accountability, Directorate of Higher Education, the State Examination Board, the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (Edo SUBEB), Library Board and Board of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, among others.

At the Commissioning of the Benin Technical College, Obaseki said he came, saw and did his best as the governor of the state in the last eight year.

He added that his government has restored hope of the people of the State, rebuilt Edo’s economy, and empowered and equipped young people in the State for the future.

“This afternoon, I am so glad that a week to the exit in my office, I can come here and see a rebuilt Benin Technical College. A college that is now giving hope to hundreds if not thousands of young boys and girls.

“I said, what greater glory or gift can you ask from God? I am leaving office very very satisfied and happy. That I came to this school, I saw the state of this college and I did my best.

His words: “This project is something I had to do because when I contested as governor of Edo State in 2016, we were facing existential threats. Our children didn’t want to go to school but rather preferred to travel for greener pastures.

“The rate of irregular migration and human trafficking was very scary for me. At the time, over 30,000 young Edo boys and girls were in Libya trying to cross into Europe; we had the data. You can imagine how many died on their way there.”

He continued: “While campaigning, I promised to restore hope and did what politicians don’t normally do, promising to create over 200,000 jobs, and by grace we have surpassed that.

“These jobs were not created by the government or the civil service as we focused on developing skills and training our young boys and girls in institutions like the Benin Technical School that just wanted hope and opportunity in life.

“When I resumed office on November 12th, 2016, I visited the Secretariat and the next day, I was at the Benin Technical College. If I am to create 200,000 jobs, I need the institution to do this. But what I saw when I came here, I almost wept and I made a commitment that restoring this school and renovating it will be my priority.”

Obaseki added, “I am glad this afternoon that a week to my exit in office, I can see a rebuilt technical college giving hope to thousands of young boys and girls. This is a greater joy and gift from God as I am leaving office very satisfied. I came, saw the State of the college and I did my best to revamp and rehabilitate it.”

Obaseki at the commissioning of the Education Hub, said the facility is a testament to his government’s revamp of the education sector.

The governor also named the hub after foremost educationist and Commissioner for Education in the old Midwest State, Chief Tayo Akpata.

He said, “Today, we are here to commission the Edo State Education Hub and this facility is like a summary of what we have done in Edo State. When we came, we met our educational system in disarray but today we are leaving a very organized education system. This hub represents that because this hub is everything education.

“In this facility, we have created a hall of fame for our teachers. The whole reform in Edo’s education sector was anchored on the teacher. The EdoBEST programme succeeded because we focused on teachers who eventually teach the children. Teachers should be at the core of any education reform.”

Commending teachers in the State for supporting the reforms of the education sector, Obaseki added, “As I leave, I want to thank all the teachers and educationists who laid the foundation of education in Edo State.”

Speaking at the event, the visiting Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mba, who described Obaseki as a transformer, said he has not only transformed Edo’s education sector but enhanced the learning abilities of Edo people.

He noted, “I am deeply honored to be invited to commission this landmark project as it’s a testament to the commitment of Governor Obaseki to transform the education sector.

“The governor has had an outstanding term in office with various remarkable transformational projects which not only transformed the education sector but enhanced the learning abilities of the Edo people.

“In the last eight years, the governor has been planting and it’s our hope that the young ones and people of Edo State would reap from the bountiful harvest of your selfless work for Edo people.

“It’s our hope that when the history of this State and Nigeria is rendered, posterity will not only be kind to you but will also preserve a noble seat for you for the great work you have done in Edo State.”

On his part, Senator Tambuwal while celebrating the governor’s achievements in the last eight years, described Governor Obaseki as an achiever and pacesetter.

He stated, “I am impressed with what I have just witnessed this afternoon through the philosophy of Governor Godwin Obaseki, and in no distant future Edo people will be missing you.

“I must commend you for the initiative of the education hub. It’s yet another first and has not been seen anywhere in Nigeria. I urge the people coming after you to continue with the good work as it’s not about politics but about governance and the people of Edo State and Nigeria.”

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, on Tuesday, said the agency has disbursed N11billion as loans to 90,000 students in six months.

Sawyerr disclosed this during an oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND led by its chairman Senator Muntari Dandutse, in Abuja.

He said that fees and stipends for over 90,000 students have been paid.

He said: “Three hundred students have been deemed to qualify for the loans. The gap between those that have qualified and those in benefit of the loan is that we have to go through a rigorous process to ensure we are not  giving money to the wrong people.”

Sawyerr said that from the N96 billion earmarked for students’ loans, about N11 billion has been disbursed to the 90, 000 students across the country.

He said: “That figure, N96 billion, is the loan committed to. It’s not the disbursed figure. We have disbursed just below N11 billion.

“The rest of it is going to be disbursed over the next few weeks to students until it gets to that 96 billion.”

He noted that the loan was in two categories; the Institutional Loan and the Upkeep Loan adding that students don’t have to apply for either loan.

“They don’t have to apply for either loan. However, they can only apply for the upkeep loan if they have applied for the institutional loan and received it.

“The institutional loan is the primary loan that allows them to access education.

“Once they have accessed that loan and they get that, they can also get the upkeep but they can’t get the upkeep on its own because upkeep is tied to going to school”.

Sawyerr said that the agency was determined to change the lives of students through the Renewed Hope mandate of President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

He said that in terms of the geo-political zones’ spread of the disbursement, 12 per cent of students from the North-central have benefited from the facility.

“The North-east, 26 per cent have benefited; the North-west, 38 per cent; South-east, about 10 per cent; South-south, about 4 per cent and the South-west, 13 per cent.

“These numbers have doubled since we’ve been there. So, we are monitoring it month by month,” Sawyerr said.

On the loan repayment modalities, Sawyerr said that it has been made very easy in that the programme is not a profit-making activity for the Fund.

“This is a profit-making activity for the nation. Therefore, we have tried to put  in soft terms, so that people will not be discouraged from going to school”.

He said that the repayment was for two years after the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) if they have a job.

“The onus is on the employer to pay on their behalf or to take money from their salaries”.