Crime & SecurityNewsNigeriaFeds Probes Upper Benue Top Director, Others Over Financial Scandal

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The Federal Ministry of Water Resources had set up a fact-finding committee to investigate allegations leveled against the Assistant Director of Finance and some other staff members of Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority (UBRDA) Yola, Adamawa State.

The fact-finding committee was set up following a petition by Habib Garba and Amos Douglas who accused the Assistant Director of the Authority of using the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) standard for fraudulent acts and massive diversion of money.

Garba and Douglas in separate petitions filed before the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in August said that Abubakar Tela Sulaiman had become so powerful to the extent that he had pocketed his immediate boss, the Executive Director of Finance and also the Managing Director of the Authority “who also benefits from his largesse”.

Garba in his petition said, “One major area of concern is a situation where Mr. Sulaiman Abubakar Tela singly paid only himself a salary arrears with a net figure of N372, 648.42 in December 2021 while denying over 120 staff having their salary arrears in the same year and also included himself in another round of payment on January 21, 2022, for the same purpose, the sum of N8, 370,000 to his First Bank account with number 2012065215 and IPPIS NO: 260535.

“This recklessness resulted in staff promotion arrears of 2022 not being paid to date. His cronies who are staff under him also benefited from divers unmerited amounts on 21/01/2022 Description: RR/IPPIS/FGN UBRABDA/20 as captured as follows: Sulaiman Abubakar Tela – N8,370,000; Samson Sunday Makama – N7,440,000; Sabo Kwale Patrick – N7,440,000; Jigo Uba Ammar – N5,580,000 and Isaiah Helda – N5,580,000.

“All the officers mentioned above are the Authority’s IPPIS desk officers enriching themselves through the IPPIS platform.

“The mastermind behind the infiltration of the payment platform has perfected his art only due to the presence of a mole at the IPPIS, and it is only when a comprehensive investigation is launched the ally can be figured out so that he can also face the full wrath of the law.”

The petitioner alleged that as far as the Upper River Basin Authority in Yola, Adamawa State is concerned, the words of Mr. Sulaiman are law as he has allegedly blackmailed senior staff members of the Authority into obeying all he says.

He alleged that some management staff members of the Authority he identified as Mr Abubakar Muazu, Engr. Ahmed Tukur, Mr. Simon Mathias Tizhe, and Engr Ali Buba Pella are on consolidated salaries, and received promotion arrears “which is against the civil service rules”.

“A recall of his (Abubakar Tela Suleiman) secret file will reveal that the officer in question manipulated his steps to be at the same step as his seniors: Hajiya Zainab.M. Tukur, Abubakar H. Joda, Ibrahim Adamu Mohammed, and Engr. Ibrahim Bello etc., who were initially two steps ahead of him,” Garba added.

Also in his petition, Mr. Douglas said: “Mr. Sulaiman Abubakar Tela singly paid only himself salary arrears with a net figure of N372, 648.82 in December 2021 while denying over 120 staff their salary arrears in the same year”.

“And went ahead to include himself in another round of payment on 21st January 2022, for the same purpose the sum of N8,370,000.00 to his First Bank account with number 2012065215 and IPPIS NO: 260535. This recklessness resulted in piling up of staff promotion arrears of 2022 not paid till date.”

Hassan Umar Shallpella (Regional Correspondent)
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