The American International School of Abuja (AISA) has reached out to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asking the agency to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
Recall that Bello was alleged to have made an advance payment of seven hundred and twenty dollars in school fees for five of his children from the coffers of the Kogi State Government.
In a letter addressed to the Lagos zonal commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of over eight hundred dollars had been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date”, noting that after deducting educational services already rendered, the sum to be refunded is seven hundred and sixty thousand nine hundred and ten dollars.
“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.
It added, “Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 in tuition and other fees have been deposited into our bank account.
In response to the accusations, the embattled former governor released a statement signed by Ohiare Michael, which included several crucial details to set the record straight.
As claimed by EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede ,the payment of the fees was not effected at about the time Yahaya Bello was to leave office, forcing Michael to note that the ex governor did not pay the fees of his Children with monies from the Coffers of the Kogi State Government.
“A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House”.
“In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used.’ Being used by who at this stage of my life?”, he said.
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