The Ebonyi State government has awarded contracts worth N7.2 billion to a company owned by the personal assistant to Governor Francis Nwifuru.
According to a SaharaReporters investigation into the Open Contracting Portal of the state, two contracts were awarded between November 2024 and February 2025, both to Oke Ogirima Nigeria Limited.
The first contract, awarded by the Ministry of Works and Transport, was for the “construction of 16.7KM Rander Mbamiri Road in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.” The contract sum was N5.6 billion, awarded in February 2025.
Another contract for the “construction of proposed faculty building in the ICT University” was awarded to Oke Ogirima at the rate of N1.6 billion by the Ministry of Tertiary Education.
Checks on the beneficial ownership register of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) show that Nwodom Okechukwu Peter was listed as one of the two directors of the company.
Further investigation reveals that Peter is the personal assistant to the state governor, Nwifuru.
Checks on the phone number listed for Oke Ogirima on the Ebonyi State OCDS portal reveal the contact owner as Oke Nwodom (pa).
Before the award of these two contracts, Oke Ogirima had never won any contract with the Ebonyi State government.
It is unclear why, within four months, the company won two contracts worth N7.2 billion, coinciding with the appointment of director Okechukwu Nwodom Peter as the governor’s personal assistant.
How Governor’s Brother, Simeon Nwifuru, Earlier Secured N3Billion In Contracts
Earlier, a SaharaReporters review revealed that Simeon Nwifuru, brother of the Ebonyi State governor, registered two companies within ten days in February 2024 and subsequently secured contracts worth N3 billion from the state government.
One of the companies, “Celeco Plaza Limited,” was registered on February 18, 2024, while another, “Best Celeco Construction Company,” was registered on February 8, 2024.
A review shows that Simeon Nwifuru was listed as the owner of both companies, which also share the same office address: “No 1, Achi Street, Abakaliki, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.”
Investigations reveal that Simeon Nwifuru used both companies to bid for similar projects within ICT University, Oferepke, in what appears to be a case of contract splitting.
A contract for the construction of a three-storey student hostel at the ICT University, Oferepke, Ebonyi State, was awarded to Celeco Plaza for N1.542 billion under the code “ocds-zinqhl-085317-EB/MTE/EP029-NG.”
It was awarded in March 2025; however, the tender release date for the contract was listed as August 29, 2024, six months after the registration of Celeco Plaza with the CAC.
Another contract worth N1.287 billion, also for the construction of a three-storey student hostel at ICT University, Oferepke, was awarded to Best Celeco Construction Company, also owned by Simeon Nwifuru, under the code “ocds-zinqhl-085305-EB/MTE/EP029-NG.”
The contract was awarded on March 12, 2025; however, the tender release date was August 29, 2024, only six months after Best Celeco Construction registered with the CAC.
Another contract for the construction of a twelve-classroom storey building at Girls High School, Azuiyiokwu, Abakaliki, worth N172 million, was awarded to Best Celeco Construction on October 7, 2024, under code “ocds-zinqhl-045168-EB/MPE/EP007-NG,” barely eight months after the organisation registered with the CAC.
Interestingly, the tender for this project was released on February 21, 2024 — just thirteen days after Best Celeco registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
In total, contracts worth N3.001 billion were awarded to Celeco and Best Celeco, both of which are owned by Simeon Nwifuru, between February 2024 and March 2025.
It remains unclear how the company met the technical requirements to win contracts worth N3 billion, or why Simeon Nwifuru used two separate companies to secure similar projects at the same institution, ICT University, Oferepke, in what appears to be a classic case of contract splitting.
How Governor Nwifuru’s Brother-in-law Secured N3.1Billion Contract
Previously, SaharaReporters reported that on April 28, 2023, barely one month before the inauguration of a new governor in Ebonyi State, a new company was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
The company, “HC Carter Ventures Ltd,” was incorporated on April 25, 2023.
Between July 2024 (barely one year after its registration) and May 2025 (barely two years later), it was awarded three contracts worth over N3 billion for different projects in Ebonyi State.
On July 25, 2024, a contract worth N400 million was awarded to the company for the construction of two kilometres (2 km) of the Ngamgbo Elom Note to Onu UIO Akpu Junction Road in the Mkpoke community, Ikwo Local Government Area, Ebonyi State.
On October 7, 2024, a contract worth N172 million for the construction of a twelve-classroom storey building at Community Secondary School, Ojiegbe Nkaliki, was awarded to HC Carter Ventures.
Further review shows that on May 6, 2025, a contract worth N2.541 billion was awarded to the company for the construction of a concrete rigid pavement (5,000.00m), Phase 2, from TTC–Iboko Road in Izzi LGA, Ebonyi State.
The three contracts awarded to HC Carter Ventures within two years of its registration with the CAC were worth N3.113 billion.
A CAC database check revealed that, according to the beneficial ownership register, Nwode Chidi Henry, the person with significant control on the board, had an address listed within the government quarters in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
Further investigation by SaharaReporters through network analysis revealed that Mr. Nwode, who owns the company that secured over N3 billion in contracts within two years of registration, is the younger brother of the First Lady of Ebonyi State, Mary-Maudline Nwifuru.
On February 11, 2025, SaharaReporters checks revealed that Simeon Nwifuru was congratulated by several people on his appointment as a member of the Land Use Allocation Committee, suggesting he was already working for the state government.
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