It’s Ridiculous To Say Saraki Was Getting N2b Monthly From Govt Coffers-Ex- Kwara Finance Commissioner

Mr  Ademola Nurudeen Banu , an engineer and a chartered accountant, served as Dr Bukola Saraki’s Special Adviser on Economic Affairs  and later served as Commissioner for Finance under former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

In this interview with  Team@orientactualmags.com,   he vehemently denied allegations that   former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki was given two billion naira monthly  from government coffers  during the  Abdulfatah Ahmed administration  while also disclosing what motivated him  to venture into politics.

Read On:

Tell us who Ademola Banu is and what actually  motivated you to  get involved in politics?

I attended the University of Ilorin  where I received a BSC  in  Agricultural Engineering and  I became a chartered accountant  in 1996, Iam also an auditor.

  I was with the Eko International Bank and later joined the Standard Trust Bank now called UBA and I won  several awards as  a bank manager .  I had  heard that politics is a dirty game and this had regularly exercised my mind  and I had avoided getting involved  but the story changed when I was introduced to Dr.  Abubakar Bukola Saraki,  actually  when I met him I  wasn’t thinking of joining politics. I never planned to leave my profession. I was a  bank manager, and I was  doing very well. But Dr Saraki said something that day and it later resulted in a decision-switch . I saw how humble he was and his passionate commitment to developing the state.

He was telling me that he wanted to create about 10,000 job opportunities for  Kwara youths, and I could see that he is a passionate believer in youth empowerment . And  I said to myself that ‘look at  this man  he is not  thinking like other typical politicians  He’s different from the kind of description given to an average Nigerian politician  because many  believe their stock-in-trade is to embezzle public funds.

Ordinarily, I would not have left banking job  because the salary I was earning was incomparable  to  what I was offered.  

The difference was very clear.

So I concluded within me  that  I needed to support this man to achieve his noble goals and that it was also  an opportunity to  help humanity, that was why I left banking job for politics.

 But because of the way the man was working and the kind of assignment he was giving me, I was happy   that he appreciated what I was doing because within 3 months, that  I was made the Special Assistant  on Economic Planning,  Investment was added to it . I was happy because I was relevant. I became one of those who made decisions then and I was happy that I was doing that . After  Dr Saraki was re-elected, I was  made a Special Adviser. Then from Special Adviser to Commissioner for Finance. I thank God that  I was up and doing , I noticed that before Dr. Bukola Saraki  would  ask anyone to carry out a task, he would find a way of knowing  your competence and capability.

 That office (Special Adviser on Economic Planning) is very critical because the governor had no time to go through all proposals. So he needed an office that could  give  him advice and I think I  did well. I was elevated to Commissionership  in 2011 and I was in charge of Ministry   of Finance ,   I thank God for this’ he said. .

Some have alleged that  you were using your professional expertise  to make N2 billion available to Saraki  from government coffers monthly ?

Thanks for that question. When we were in power , we heard about everything. Then, the  negative propaganda they raised against us was too much. So there was actually  nothing we could tell the people to  disabuse their minds. I thank God for the kind of upbringing I had. Money means nothing to us in my family because I never lacked anything. If not so, I would not have resigned  from  banking job  and stay in politics with the kind of money they were paying. What I was earning as a bank employee was far more than my salary as a political appointee. Having said that, I didn’t take all they were saying seriously because they said our leader (Saraki) always come home whenever we received our monthly allocation to take his shares.

  It is preposterous to say that the former senate president was getting two billion naira monthly, it doesn’t appeal to common sense. With my pedigree, I can’t sacrifice everything I’ve been through in life to spoil my name because ‘good name’, they say, ‘is better than riches’. Dr. Bukola Saraki cannot ask for such and, likewise, I will never  be involved  in such a thing . I thank God that we lost  during the last general  election. If we  had  not lost the election, there is  nothing we can say to make Kwarans believe us.

He (Saraki)  once called me and said ‘Demola you’re not talking enough’. I told him there was  nothing I could say because the people were not ready to listen to any explanation from us. Now,  that they have access to information, documents and everything. If there is anything they want, it is there at the Ministry of Finance.  Actually, these things were checked when we were invited by the EFCC in respect of allegations that we had misappropriated two billion naira  and nothing was found. 

 You may have tampered with incriminating  documents?

No, not at all, actually,  they wanted to indict me. Before the 2019  general election,  we took N1 billion  loan from a financial institution. The next thing we heard was  that we received a petition that the loan we wanted to obtain was to be used for the said general  election.

EFCC invited me and checked my personal  bank account. They found nothing. Also, they checked the  bank accounts of   the people and  the ministries  that  got the money. At some point, they were making different kinds  of allegations. The then  zonal head of EFCC in Ilorin  was being political. He even confessed to me that my case had been decided.

I told him categorically that  it is only if I’m found guilty that such a thing could become my fate, you have access to everything  they said I was collecting five million naira monthly and they detained me for four days,  they also alleged that I took four hundred million naira and they  took me to court .

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 There was a time they also  called me from my son’s school and he complained that his mates were mocking him calling  him son of  a thief  and I had to change his school.

Also,  I needed to travel abroad  for medical checkup and  I provided  all necessary documents but they asked the judge not to allow me to travel  saying  I will not return to the country . and it was important that I travelled then. 

 Members of the press corps of the Government House were usually mobilized to cover the proceedings , it was a pre-meditated and a pre-planned script  but  God so good,  Magu was removed  and Bawa was appointed as the new head of  EFCC. God who had been my strength stood with me and I remain undaunted.

A  very focused and thorough man ,  I give kudos to the young man , he said all the cases in court should be reviewed and   mine was among the cases, I   thank God  that Sharu had left Kwara  then.

They   returned  to court and said they had no  evidence against me  with all these, it beats my imagination that the current administration still talks about this issue of someone misappropriating funds.

A  forensic audit report has also accused you and others of siphoning off eleven billion naira belonging to the state government, what is your take on this?

 The Ministry of Finance is  not a place where you can do any funny thing  , it is difficult because we have experienced  civil servants there, people like Alhaji Tunde, Mr Ishola   they were no -nonsense people.

 As commissioner, I could not sign any cheque  there is also a directorate of   inspection , what they have done was to  politicize issues and this is very wrong.

It is   simply because they  don’t know what they are saying  I have read the report and I don’t even want believe that it was an auditor that wrote  it because it is gibberish, it is  clear that    the governor does not have a good economic adviser.

  How did the fund leave government coffers?  Who signed   the documents  and what was  the money  used for?    They  are actually making us a laughing stock because people will see  the media reports,  eleven billion naira  is not a small money.

  You don’t  also need anyone to carry out a forensic audit  , the financial guidelines require the auditor general to  carry out such a duty , they have just  wasted money  on hiring those who claimed to have done the job .

The  simple questions to pose to them  are; who approved the money? How was it taken out ,  who collected it   and what was it used for?  Which  financial institution played a role in it?

 There is no need wasting our time on such a thing .

EFCC  is very through  and they have looked into the books  it takes the grace of God for someone to be taken to court  by the anti-graft agency  and later let such a person off the hook and  I thank God  for this.

It is not easy, there is no one that will be investigated  by  the  EFCC  and escape being indicted   unless such a person is covered by God’s grace- Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you