The Ekiti State Government has reportedly released and spent ₦470 million on the construction of a new Abuja lodge for Governor Biodun Oyebanji and his deputy, Monisade Afuye, according to documents reviewed by Akelicious.
The project, valued at ₦1.8 billion, is located in Asokoro, Abuja, and was listed in the state’s 2025 budget under the description: “Construction of New Governor and Deputy Governor Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.”
Budget records show that between January and September 2025, the state government disbursed ₦470 million toward the project.
Further investigation by Akelicious into the Ekiti State Open Contracting Portal revealed that a separate ₦320 million contract was awarded for the construction of a guest house chalet within the Government House in Ado-Ekiti. The project was reportedly awarded on October 8, 2025, to the Permanent Secretary in the Government House and Protocol Department as the contractor.
This development comes amid increasing public scrutiny and calls for greater fiscal discipline in state governance. It also follows SaharaReporters’ earlier report that 20 key government agencies in Ekiti State failed to secure funding for their capital projects in 2025.
A review of the Ekiti State audited financial statement for 2024 further revealed that 35 agencies received no capital expenditure funding despite having a combined budget allocation of ₦3.3 billion.
Among the affected agencies are the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Deputy Governor’s Office, Independent Project Monitoring Office, Ekiti State Boundary Commission, Ekiti State Liaison Offices (Abuja and Lagos), Ekiti State Mortgage Board, Capital Development Authority, and the Pensions Board.
Others include the Ministry of Information and Values Orientation, Civil Service Commission, Office of Political and Economic Affairs, Directorate of Farm Settlement and Peasant Farmers Development, Ministry of Local Government Affairs, and Ministry of Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, among several others.
Despite these funding gaps, multiple high-value contracts some worth billions were allegedly awarded directly to permanent secretaries, raising questions about compliance with due process and competitive bidding standards.
For instance, the supply and installation of an Instrument Landing System at the Ekiti State Airport Project, valued at ₦3.3 billion, was awarded to a “Permanent Secretary” through the Ministry of Transportation.
Similarly, contracts for airport floodlights, electrification works, security posts, office spaces, and meteorological facilities were each awarded to permanent secretaries, with some valued between ₦31 million and ₦1.162 billion.
Analysts and civic observers have described the pattern as a breach of transparency and a potential violation of the Public Procurement Act, which mandates open competition in government contracting.
