Adamawa Commissioner Joab Haggai Sahma’s Ministry Diverts N1.77M Taxes, Spends N28.75M Illegally on Computers

Stanley Ugagbe

The 2024 audit report of the Adamawa State Ministry of Land and Survey has raised fresh concerns over alleged financial irregularities involving tax deductions, undocumented payments, and procurement breaches totalling over N33.8 million.

The audit, issued by the State Auditor-General, Usman Ahmed and obtained by SecretsReporters, highlights lapses under the leadership of Chief Joab Haggai Sahma, who served as Commissioner for the Ministry of Land and Survey during the period under review.

According to the findings, the ministry failed to remit a total of N1,769,944.00 deducted from staff and transactions to the appropriate tax authorities, in violation of existing tax laws. The audit noted that the deductions were made but were not transferred to the relevant tax collection agencies as required.

The report further highlighted concerns over payment procedures within the ministry, stating that fourteen (14) payment vouchers amounting to N3,315,000.00 were processed and paid to categories of officers without any supporting documentation.

The Auditor-General observed that the absence of proper documentation contravened Rule 0704 of the Financial Regulations, which mandates adequate backing for all government expenditures to ensure transparency and accountability.

In another significant observation, the audit queried the release of N28,750,000.00 for the purchase of computers. According to the report, the transaction did not comply with the provisions of Section 19(1) of the Adamawa State Bureau for Public Procurement Law, 2020 (as amended), which governs procurement procedures and ensures due process in public spending.

The Auditor-General’s report did not state whether the funds were recovered or whether disciplinary actions were taken, but it emphasised breaches of financial regulations and procurement laws across the transactions reviewed.

Chief Joab Haggai Sahma, who headed the ministry at the time of the audit period, was not specifically quoted in the report regarding the findings, and there is no indication of his response to the audit queries at the time of filing this report.

The latest audit findings add to growing scrutiny of financial management practices in state ministries, particularly regarding compliance with tax remittances, documentation of public expenditures, and adherence to procurement laws designed to prevent abuse of public funds.