UBEC fund: Saraki gives Gov AbdulRazaq 7 days to retract accusation

A former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki on Monday gave Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq seven days to retract allegation against him on the issue of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund in the state.

He further threatened to sue the governor if he failed to retract the alleged statement.

Saraki on Monday in a statement described the alleged claim by the governor that he (Saraki) allegedly embezzled the UBEC fund and also used his position as Senate President to prevent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating the case as an outright lie and demand immediate retraction.

“I have ignored all his lies all this while as I believe he was resorting to that cheap escape measure to mask his failure in governance. Now, I will have to take strong measures by challenging him in court since he will not desist from fabricating lies against me.

“I have told my lawyers to write him to retract the statement or be ready to prove it in court,” Saraki stated.

Daily Trust reports that the governor at the weekend during the inauguration of the campaign team of Malam Saliu Mustapha, the APC senatorial candidate in Kwara Central, accused the administration of his predecessor, Alhaji Abdulfattah Ahmed, of alleged mismanagement of the UBEC fund in the state.

According to the governor, “I went to Abuja to ask UBEC why Kwara was blacklisted for seven years and was told the funds have been embezzled.

“But when I enquired why UBEC did not prosecute them, they said their leader (Saraki) was the Senate President and they would have problem defending and getting their budget approved if they had taken such action,” the governor had said.

When contacted, the Special Adviser, Political to the Governor, Alhaji Bashiru Adigun said he would get back to our correspondent.

“I will get back to you on our reaction to Saraki’s statement,” Adigun said.

He was however yet to do so before the filing of this report on Monday.

(Daily Trust)