NEWS
How Umahi’s Ministry Paid ₦60bn to Company Linked to His Political Loyalist Amid Procurement Questions
Fresh findings into federal road contracts have placed Minister of Works David Umahi and an Ebonyi-based construction company, Reinforced Global Resources Limited, under renewed scrutiny over the award and payment of major infrastructure projects.
According to an investigation by BusinessDay, the company received about ₦60.1 billion in 27 payments from the Federal Ministry of Works between 2024 and 2026, with the ministry reportedly accounting for its entire recorded federal payment history during the period.
The investigation focused particularly on the company’s connection to Joshua Okoro, its managing director and shareholder, who previously served as Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students Stakeholders Forum in Ebonyi State and publicly mobilised student support for Umahi during the 2023 elections.
The company’s emergence as a major federal contractor followed Umahi’s appointment as Minister of Works after he left the Senate.
₦60.1bn Paid Across Major Road Projects:
Data cited in the investigation showed that Reinforced Global Resources received ₦60,078,385,317.43 across 27 transactions.
The largest concentration of payments was linked to the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Road project in Ebonyi State, which accounted for approximately ₦30.06 billion across seven payments.
Another major project was the Ugep-Abaomoge-Opkosi Road, spanning Cross River and Ebonyi states, for which the company received about ₦15.72 billion in four payments.
The construction of a 23-span flyover at Eke Obinagu Junction on the Enugu-Abakaliki Road accounted for another ₦8.34 billion, paid in three instalments between May 2024 and February 2025.
Additional payments were linked to culverts, drainage works and other road projects, including the Mpu-Uburu Road, Amasiri-Nguazu-Edda-Ohafia Road, the access road around David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, the Inkerefi-Ohazara Road and an emergency box culvert on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road.
The federal government’s own public-facing records also confirm Reinforced Global Resources’ involvement in major infrastructure projects. In June 2026, the State House reported that the company was handling an 88-kilometre concrete road project on the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja corridor.
Company Had Earlier Contracts Under Umahi in Ebonyi:
The investigation also traced the company’s contracting history to Umahi’s tenure as Governor of Ebonyi State.
Contrary to any suggestion that Reinforced Global Resources was entirely new to government contracting, Ebonyi State’s official e-procurement portal contains records showing that the company won state contracts years before Umahi became Works Minister.
For instance, the company was awarded a ₦2.35 billion contract in January 2018 for the construction of the 15-kilometre Umuobo, Oboma and Iheenu Ring Road in Ohaozara Local Government Area.
Another official procurement record shows Reinforced Global Resources receiving a ₦1.71 billion revised contract for additional works on the Umuoghara-Achara-Achiagu Road project in Ezza North.
The company was also part of a joint venture that won a ₦4.9 billion Ebonyi State Ring Road project section in 2021, according to an African Development Bank procurement publication.
These records establish that the company had an existing history of public-sector contracting in Ebonyi before its federal contracts expanded after Umahi’s appointment as Works Minister.
From Masonry Work to a Major Contractor:
BusinessDay’s investigation traced Okoro’s background from hands-on construction work to the leadership of Reinforced Global Resources.
Okoro obtained a Higher National Diploma in Building Technology from Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, in 2015 and subsequently joined the professional body for builders in 2024.
Corporate records cited in the investigation identified Joshua Okoro, Akpa Ejimkonye and Akpa Hannah as shareholders of Reinforced Global Resources, with Okoro holding 40 percent while the other two shareholders held 30 percent each.
The company has since grown into a significant player in road construction, with its current projects extending beyond Ebonyi.
Procurement Rules at the Centre of the Controversy:
The most significant issue raised by the investigation concerns Nigeria’s public procurement framework and the handling of advance payments.
BusinessDay argued that the political relationship between Okoro and Umahi should have been disclosed during procurement processes if it created a relevant personal or political connection requiring disclosure under the Public Procurement Act.
The investigation further questioned the scale and timing of advance payments on the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Road project, particularly payments made in quick succession.
A procurement expert interviewed for the investigation argued that advance payments beyond the statutory threshold could amount to a breach of procurement rules unless legally justified, while also calling for greater transparency in government contracting.
The Public Procurement Act contains provisions governing disclosure of interests and the conditions surrounding advance payments, making documentation of the procurement process central to determining whether any violation actually occurred.
Questions Over Payment Pattern:
According to the investigation, a substantial portion of the payments associated with the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Road project was released as advance payments.
The report questioned whether the required safeguards, including applicable guarantees and performance documentation, were in place before subsequent payments were made.
However, determining whether the transactions constituted a legal breach would ultimately depend on the underlying procurement documents, contract terms, approvals, certificates and any applicable exemptions or emergency provisions.
EFCC Case Adds Another Layer of Scrutiny:
The investigation also highlighted a separate Economic and Financial Crimes Commission case involving Brass Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited, a company founded by Umahi before his political career.
According to the report, the EFCC in July 2026 arraigned the company’s Group Managing Director, Egwuche Gladys, before a Federal High Court in Enugu over alleged money-laundering offences.
The case involved alleged cash transactions connected to the sale of a granite stone-crushing line to a joint venture involving Patan Nigeria Limited and Reinforced Global Resources Limited.
The allegations remain matters before the court and should not be treated as established wrongdoing unless determined through the judicial process.
Company’s Federal Contracting Footprint Expands:
The scale of Reinforced Global Resources’ current federal involvement is also reflected in independent records.
Government spending data previously reported in 2024 showed the company receiving ₦5.88 billion for rehabilitation of the Ugep-Opkosi Road, while more recent government-related information identifies the company as a contractor on major sections of the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja corridor.
The company’s growing role therefore represents a significant expansion from its earlier state-level contracting activities into some of the Federal Ministry of Works’ major South-East infrastructure projects.
Umahi, Company Yet to Respond to Investigation:
BusinessDay said it contacted the Ministry of Works on August 24, 2026, seeking clarification on how Reinforced Global Resources secured approximately ₦60.1 billion in payments from the ministry over the two-year period.
The report said the communication was also directed to Umahi’s office and the ministry’s central registry.
According to the investigation, no response had been received from the ministry by the time the report was filed.
The company was also reportedly contacted for clarification on its federal projects and payment history, but did not respond. Attempts to reach it through telephone numbers published on its website were also said to have been unsuccessful.
The procurement questions surrounding the ₦60.1 billion therefore remain dependent on the underlying tender documents, conflict-of-interest disclosures, payment certificates, approvals and responses from the Ministry of Works and Reinforced Global Resources.
What is independently established is that Reinforced Global Resources has received substantial public contracts in Ebonyi over several years and has subsequently become a major federal contractor
, including on high-value road projects under the Ministry of Works.
Source: BusinessDay