Ex-Governor Shema ordered me to use SURE-P fund for politics, says ex-aide

A Federal high court sitting in Katsina State yesterday heard how former Governor Ibrahim Shema allegedly diverted about N5.7 billion public funds for political purposes.

Former special adviser to Shema overseeing the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Nasiru Ingawa, told the court that the ex-governor directed him to use the funds for politics during his tenure.

Ingawa spoke when the prosecution presented him as witness in the case.

Shema is standing trial on a 26-count charge of unlawful act of fraud, contrary to section 15(2d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011. The offence is punishable under section 15(3) of the same act.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the state government filed the case before the court.

Ingawa told the court that he was appointed special adviser to the governor on SURE-P between June 2014 and May 2015.

He said that the former governor told him that the SURE-P fund would be used for politics, and that they were also going to extract their savings therefrom.

During Shema’s tenure, he continued, memos for certain programmes would be written, with half of the money meant for same expended, while remaining half would go to the savings.

He confessed that his office sometimes wrote memo for programmes that were never implemented, while certain percentage of direct purchases made by his office went to the savings.

“The tradition was that I had to sit down and discuss with him on any programme. If he agreed, he would instruct me on how much to save on that programme,” the former special adviser said.

Ingawa also told the court that he sometimes handed over the funds to the ex-governor directly, while at other times he would be instructed on whom to hand over the money to.

He said monies from SURE-P account were withdrawn in cash, with exception of few programmes which withdrawal were done with cheques.

Following the testimony, the prosecution counsel, Mr. O. I. Uket, applied for adjournment, which the defence counsel did not object.

The presiding judge, Justice Hadiza Shagari, adjourned the case till January 14, 2019.

Shema had also appeared before the state high court on Monday over alleged diversion of N11 billion council funds.

He, along with former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sani Makana; former permanent secretary to the ministry, Lawal Rufai; and former chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Lawal Dankaba, are standing trial in the case.

The judge, Justice Ibrahim Bako, adjourned the case till November 28, 2018.