Ebonyi govt denies awarding contracts to governor’s brothers

Governor Francis Nwifuru has approved the payment of N 75, 000 minimum wage to civil servants in Ebonyi State. Photo: CPS

The Executive Chairman of the Ebonyi State Internal Revenue Service (EBSIRS), Christopher Isu, over the weekend denied social media reports that the agency awarded contracts to the state governor’s brothers.

Isu, in a statement issued in Abakaliki, made it clear that EBSIRS had never engaged any relative of the governor as a revenue agent or contractor, urging the public to disregard the report.

A social media report had claimed that the EBSIRS awarded contracts to Governor Francis Nwifuru’s brothers.

The report alleged that Simeon Nwifuru is the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) contractor in charge of the International Market, Innocent Nwifuru is responsible for Livestock, while Chibueze Nwifuru oversees the state building material as the IGR contractor.

It further claimed that another of the Ebonyi governor’s brothers, Paulinus Nwifuru, is the IGR contractor for Isieke Park, while Emmanuel Nwifuru is responsible for Environment IGR, among others.

Reacting to these claims, the state’s Internal Revenue Service stated that there was no truth in the reports.

Isu explained that the board awarded revenue contracts to reputable companies through competitive bidding and that any claim to the contrary was purely fictitious, describing the reports as the handiwork of enemies of the state.

“The Board never engaged any relative of the Governor as a revenue agent or contractor.

“The Board awarded revenue contracts to reputable companies through competitive bidding, and anything to the contrary is a product of the writer’s imagination.

“The fake reports are from enemies of the state government who are not only mischievous but also hell-bent on tarnishing the image of the Board and the State.

“The Board, with every sense of responsibility, has remained transparent in carrying out its duties.

“We challenge the peddlers of this fake news to come up with verifiable evidence to substantiate their allegations.

“The Board therefore warns the purveyors of the fake news to retrace their steps in their own interest or face the wrath of the law,” he stated.