Investigation: How Upper Benue River Development Authority’s Assistant Director Allegedly Misuses IPPIS for Personal Gain

 

Staff petition accuses Abubakar of orchestrating fraud through a syndicate of employees

Two concerned Nigerians, Habib Garba and Amos Douglas, have accused Abubakar Tela Sulaiman, Assistant Director of Finance at the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority (UBRDA) in Yola, Adamawa State, of exploiting the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for fraudulent activities and diverting significant funds for personal enrichment.

Garba and Douglas have submitted formal petitions to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, alleging that Sulaiman has engaged in gross misconduct, including abuse of power and manipulation of financial records. Their grievances were also directed to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in separate petitions filed in August.

According to the petitions, Sulaiman wields significant influence within the Authority, allegedly manipulating not only his subordinates but also his superiors, including the Executive Director of Finance and the Managing Director, who are said to benefit from his actions.

Garba’s petition claims that Sulaiman paid himself salary arrears amounting to N372,648.42 in December 2021, while over 120 other staff members were denied their entitlements for that period. Furthermore, Sulaiman allegedly arranged an additional payment of N8,370,000 to his First Bank account (No. 2012065215) in January 2022, using his IPPIS number (260535).

Garba added that several of Sulaiman's colleagues, described as part of his "cronies," also received unjustified payments on January 21, 2022, under the description "RR/IPPIS/FGN UBRABDA/20." These individuals included Samson Sunday Makama (N7,440,000), Sabo Kwale Patrick (N7,440,000), Jigo Uba Ammar (N5,580,000), and Isaiah Helda (N5,580,000).

The petition alleges that Sulaiman and his associates, who oversee the IPPIS operations within the Authority, have enriched themselves by exploiting the payroll system. It further suggests that the infiltration of the platform was made possible through a mole at IPPIS, and calls for a thorough investigation to identify and hold all parties accountable.

Garba also noted that Sulaiman has allegedly gained so much control that his directives are followed unquestioningly within the Authority. Senior officials, including Abubakar Muazu, Engr. Ahmed Tukur, Simon Mathias Tizhe, and Engr. Ali Buba Pela, have reportedly received promotion arrears, despite being on consolidated salaries, which violates civil service rules.

Additionally, Garba accused Sulaiman of manipulating his career progression to reach the same level as other senior staff members, such as Hajiya Zainab M. Tukur, Abubakar H. Joda, Ibrahim Adamu Mohammed, and Engr. Ibrahim Bello, who were previously ahead of him in rank.

Douglas echoed similar concerns in his petition, reiterating that Sulaiman paid himself N372,648.82 in salary arrears in December 2021, while denying over 120 other staff members their rightful arrears. He also confirmed that Sulaiman secured an additional N8,370,000 for himself in January 2022, contributing to the ongoing delay in settling promotion arrears for staff in 2022.

In response to these allegations, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has announced the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate the matter and determine the veracity of the claims against Sulaiman and other involved staff members at UBRDA.