The Ebonyi State government has violated the public procurement provisions in the award of N2.5 billion contracts to a company owned by the younger brother of the state governor, Francis Nwifuru.
The company was about eight months old as of the time it got the contracts, investigation by NewsNGR has shown.
According to a legal practitioner, Awosusi Kehinde, the award of contracts to newly registered or infant companies is a clear abuse of procurement regulations.
He said such companies cannot meet tax or annual return requirements, making them legally unqualified to participate in public procurement.
“A few months old company cannot file annual returns or get a tax certificate, which is one of the key requirements for awarding contracts. Also, the prerequisite experience of such an infant company in handling large projects is questionable,” he said.
“It is an abuse of the procurement act if such contract awards take place,” he added.
On July 25, 2024, the Ebonyi State government awarded a N1.7 billion contract for ‘Construction of two storey building of junior staff quarter at ICT University Oferepke, Ebonyi State’.
The contract was awarded to Equitemise Nigeria limited, according to details published by Ebonyi State on its Open Contracting Data Standard Portal (OCDS).
Another contract whose advertisement was released in August 2024, was also awarded to the company at the sum of N889 million. The contract details show ‘Upgrade of comprehensive health centre Nwofe to a general hospital’.
Both contracts total N2.5 billion according to data analysed by NewsNGR.
Checks on the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC) portal show that the winning company, Equitemise Nigeria Limited, was incorporated only in November 2023.
This would mean that as of the time the advert for the contract awarded to the tune of N1.7 billion was done by the Ebonyi State government in May, 2024, the company was only six months old.
When the tender for the N1.7 billion contract started in June, 2024, the company was only seven months old. As of the time of the contract award, it was eight months old.
The contract was bided with Emmaxos Egbunmutex Nigeria, according to details on the Ebonyi State Open State Contracting portal.
However, the phone number listed as that of the contractor for Emmaxos and that of Equitemise Nigeria Limited is the same, according to this investigation.
If the two companies that bided for the contracts were different, and not owned by the same person, the contractor phone number should also be different.
The phone number is preserved in this report.
A check on the CAC beneficiary register reveals that three persons were listed as owners of the company. One of the owners was listed as Emmanuel Mbam Nwifuru who owns 80%, another is Chimaobi Idenyi 10% and Ignatius Nathaniel Nwifuru 10%. The company registered in November 2023 means it was incorporated only six months after Rt. Hon Francis Nwifuru officially became Ebonyi State governor in May 2023.
Using social network analysis, investigation by NewsNGR shows that Emmanuel Mbam Nwifuru is the younger brother of the Ebonyi State governor Francis Nwifuru.
On October 24, 2025, the Ebonyi State governor, Nwifuru on his official Facebook page congratulated Emmanuel over his traditional wedding. He wrote;
“Yesterday, my dear younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Mbam Nwifuru, was traditionally joined in marriage with his lovely bride, Ezinne Precious Obiya,” his post read in part.
On the same day, his media aide Leo Ekene Oketa re-shared the governor’s post on Facebook writing “Many congratulations, Mr and Mrs Emmanuel Mbam Nwifuru”.
Also in October 2025, the First Lady of Ebonyi State Mrs Mary Maudline Nwifuru confirmed Emmanuel as the governor’s younger brother.
She wrote; “I am delighted to share the joy of the traditional wedding ceremony between Barr Ezinne Precious Obia and Barr Prince Emmanuel Mbam Nwifuru, younger brother to His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, Governor of Ebonyi State.”
‘TrueCaller’ check also shows that the contact listed on the Ebonyi OCDS portal as that of the contractor for one of the contracts awarded to Equitemise belongs to Emmanuel.
There have also been issues around conflict of interest given that the company which is a few months old is owned by a brother to the governor of the state and raises questions on the procurement process.
Section 421 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 provides that a company’s annual return must be completed, signed by a director and the secretary, and filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission within 42 days after its annual general meeting.
“This section does not apply to companies with only one member.”
Section 422 mandates that each return must include: “A certified copy of every balance sheet and profit and loss account laid before the company in general meeting… and a certified copy of the auditors’ and directors’ reports.”
The law further provides that where any balance sheet or document does not comply with legal requirements, additions and corrections must be made, and this must be clearly stated on the copy submitted.
Section 374 adds: “A private company shall send with the annual return… a certificate signed both by a director and the secretary of the company that has not issued any invitation to the public to subscribe for shares or debentures.”
It is unclear how a few months old company will be able to meet the requirements and provisions of this law in respect to filing annual returns and paying necessary taxes.
The Ebonyi State Public Procurement Act in Section 21 2(e) mandated payment of taxes, social insurance among others for a company to win contracts.
The law says a bidder may not be awarded contracts;
“If a bidder is in arrears, regarding payment of due taxes, charges, pensions or social insurance contributions, unless such bidders have obtained a lawful permit with respect to allowance, deference of such outstanding payment thereof in installments.”
The Ebonyi Bureau of Public Procurement Act also mandates that winning bidders must possess technical, professional experience to win contracts including equipments, personnel and financial capacity.
Anthony Adejuwon who is Founder & Team Lead of Urban Alert, a civic tech organization working around social accountability faulted the award of the contracts in a conversation with NewsNGR.
“This is unfortunate because a company incorporated only months earlier has neither the history nor the opportunity to satisfy these statutory requirements, rendering any award that overlooks them irregular,” he noted.
