NEWS
Fresh Scrutiny Trails ₦1.4bn Virology Lab Contract to Newly Registered Firm as Ebonyi Procurement Records Raise Compliance Questions
...as Governor’s Brother, Simeon Nwifuru, Linked to ₦3bn in Contracts After Swift Company Registrations
A detailed review of the Ebonyi State Open Contracting Portal has uncovered that a ₦1.4 billion government contract was awarded to a company that was less than one month old at the time of the award, sparking fresh concerns over procurement compliance and due process in the state.
According to documents available on the state’s contracting portal, the contract for the procurement of laboratory equipment for a Basic Virology Research Laboratory Set-Up was awarded to Euslar Consultancy Services on December 16, 2025. However, records show that the tender process for the project commenced on November 6, 2025.
Corporate registration data from the Corporate Affairs Commission indicate that Euslar Consultancy Services was officially registered on November 17, 2025, eleven days after the tender process had already begun.
This timeline has raised critical questions regarding eligibility and compliance. At the time the bidding process started, the company was not yet incorporated. Yet, less than one month after its registration, it emerged as the successful bidder for the ₦1.4 billion contract.
Observers have questioned how a firm that was not legally registered at the commencement of the procurement process was able to participate and eventually secure the contract.
Further concerns revolve around how the company was able to meet statutory obligations under Ebonyi State’s procurement framework, including tax compliance requirements such as filing of annual returns, which are typically expected of duly incorporated entities before contract awards.
The issue of incorporation status has also drawn attention, particularly regarding the requirement that a company must be fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission prior to entering into contractual agreements with the government.
Additional checks using the contact details listed for the contractor on the state portal linked the phone number to Dr. Nnenna Onu. Further findings identified Dr. Euslar Nnenna Onu as the owner of Euslar Consultancy Services.
Dr. Onu is reportedly a lecturer at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, located in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The latest findings come amid earlier revelations that contracts valued at ₦7.2 billion were awarded to a company linked to a personal assistant to the Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru.
Investigations into the state’s Open Contracting Portal showed that between November 2024 and February 2025, two major contracts were awarded to Oke Ogirima Nigeria Limited.
The first, valued at ₦5.6 billion, was awarded by the Ministry of Works and Transport in February 2025 for the construction of a 16.7-kilometre Rander Mbamiri Road in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The second contract, worth ₦1.6 billion, was awarded by the Ministry of Tertiary Education for the construction of a proposed faculty building in the ICT University.
A search of the beneficial ownership register maintained by the Corporate Affairs Commission lists Nwodom Okechukwu Peter as one of the two directors of Oke Ogirima Nigeria Limited.
Further checks identified Peter as a personal assistant to Governor Francis Nwifuru. Contact details associated with the company on the procurement portal were also traced to a listing identified as Oke Nwodom (PA), reinforcing questions about possible links between public office and contract awards.
Prior to securing these two high-value contracts, Oke Ogirima Nigeria Limited had reportedly not executed any known contracts with the Ebonyi State Government. The company’s rapid acquisition of ₦7.2 billion worth of projects within four months has fueled public scrutiny, particularly as it coincided with the appointment of one of its directors as a key aide to the governor.
Separate findings had also revealed that Simeon Nwifuru, a brother to Governor Francis Nwifuru, registered two companies within a span of ten days in February 2024 and subsequently secured contracts worth approximately ₦3 billion from the state government.
One of the companies, Celeco Plaza Limited, was registered on February 18, 2024, while Best Celeco Construction Company was registered on February 8, 2024.
Corporate records show that Simeon Nwifuru is listed as the owner of both companies. The two firms reportedly share the same office address at No. 1, Achi Street, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The emerging pattern of newly registered or politically connected companies securing multi-billion-naira contracts has intensified calls for greater transparency, stricter adherence to procurement laws, and independent oversight of contract awards in Ebonyi State.
As questions continue to mount, stakeholders say clarity is needed on how eligibility requirements are assessed and enforced, particularly in cases where corporate registration timelines appear to conflict with the 
commencement of public tender processes.