How El-Rufai’s Kaduna Govt Paid Over ₦16Billion To Ronchess, Road Marking Firm Linked To Pastor Adeboye’s Son, For Major Projects—Several Now Abandoned

TribeNews
16 Min Read

Over ₦16 billion in public funds were paid by the Kaduna State Government to Ronchess Global Resources Ltd for major road and flyover projects during the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, despite overwhelming evidence that the company lacked the capacity, experience, and equipment to handle such contracts at the time.

Documents, including official contract award letters and court filings, reveal that Ronchess Global Resources Ltd initially specialised in road markings—not road construction—yet received billions of naira for major infrastructure projects. Despite lacking a proven track record in road building, the company, owned by Jackson Ukuevo, was awarded high-value contracts.

- Advertisement -

Sources familiar with the transactions disclosed that Ukuevo secured the deals by leveraging close ties to Bello El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor.

Bola Tinubu is the current Nigerian President.

- Advertisement -

A source with insider knowledge told SaharaReporters, “The company, Ronchess Global Resources, was originally set up just to do road markings and lane painting. That was its limit. The owner, Jackson Ukuevo, had no experience, no equipment, no team for road construction. He wasn’t a contractor in the real sense.”

The insider further disclosed how Jackson Ukuevo gained access to the corridors of power through social connections rather than merit.

- Advertisement -

The source said: “Everything changed when Jackson met Seyi Tinubu and Bello El-Rufai at the Polo Club in Ikoyi, Lagos, in 2018. He pleaded with Seyi to help him get to Bello, and from there, to his father, the then-governor of Kaduna. Bello agreed. That was how the doors opened.”

Documents seen by SaharaReporters show that on August 29, 2018, Kaduna State Roads Agency (KADRA) awarded Ronchess its first contract worth N754,189,630.62 for “junction improvement” and minor road works in Kaduna.

A copy of the letter reads: “You are hereby informed that your Tender…for the Proposed Junction Improvement along Sokoto/Bank Road Intersection, Completion of Road Works within Sir, Kashim Ibrahim House, Lugard Hall Complex, and Government Guest House Alimi Road, Kaduna…has been accepted at the cost of N754,189,630.62.”

- Advertisement -

Despite its glaring inexperience, the company was immediately paid 50% upfront. According to sources, this initial payment was what Ronchess used to buy its first construction equipment.

“That was Jackson’s first major payday,” the source said. “From there, he began styling himself as a road construction magnate, even though he was learning on the job.”

The Billion-Naira Jackpot: Contracts Pile Up Through Bello’s Influence

- Advertisement -

By July 2020, with no meaningful completion record, El-Rufai’s government astonishingly awarded another contract to Ronchess.

This time, the sum was a staggering N9.9 billion for the reconstruction of several roads under Kaduna’s Urban Renewal Project.

A letter dated July 2, 2020, signed by Engr. Mohammed Lawal Magaji, the Managing Director of KADRA at that time, confirms this award. The completion period was meant to be 16 months.

Court documents later revealed that the contract sum was inflated twice, first to N10.9 billion and later to N15.3 billion, citing inflation and exchange rate challenges.

The company revealed more details about the contract in court documents filed before the Kaduna State High Court.

A copy of the suit, which SaharaReporters obtained, shows the company dragged the Kaduna State Government, the Kaduna State House of Assembly, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Kaduna State, as well as the Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, to court.

 “That the Plaintiff (RONCHESS GLOBAL RESOURCES PLC)after being awarded the contract for the Kaduna Road Project, a Contract agreement dated the 7th day of July, 2020, between the plaintiff and the 1st Defendant was duly executed for the design and reconstruction of the Isa-Kaita Road, Sultan-Surame Road, Katuru-Badarawa-College Road, Waziri-Maccido Road & PAN Drive for an agreed consideration/contract sum,” an employee of the company named as James Ibrahim told the court.

James added: “That by virtue of the said contract agreement between the Plaintiff and the 1st Defendant, Plaintiff was to design and reconstruct the following kilometer of roads in Kaduna: The Isa Kaita Road which is approximately 4.133km; The Sultan Road which is approximately 2.87km; The Waziri-Maccido approximately 0.30km; The PAN Drive Road which is approximately 5.29km; The Katuru-Badarawa Road which is approximately 1.525km.

“That the Kaduna road contract was initially awarded to the Plaintiff at the total contract sum of N9, 990, 229, 573. 56 but it was subsequently revised to the sum of N10, 962, 393, 459.76 considering the then economic realities of inflation and exchange rate fluctuation.

“That due to inflation and some additional works that were not captured in the initial contract, the Contract sum for the Kaduna road contract was again revised from N10, 962, 393, 459. 76. to N15, 393, 429, 595. 10 via a letter dated the 8th day of December, 2022, with Ref. No. KADRA/CE/RD/CP/00253/VOL.VI/516. ‘The Plaintiff further avers that in compliance with the best standard practice, an Environment Assessment Impact was conducted by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) at the behest of the Plaintiff and a certificate was issued.’”

Another Jackpot Through Bello: N8 Billion For Zaria Road Project

Despite clear signs of incompetence, in September 2020, Ronchess was awarded another mouth-watering contract worth N8.7 billion for the Zaria Urban Renewal Projects, again through the influence of Bello El-Rufai.

“The company was still struggling with the massive road projects awarded to it in July 2020. They had not made any reasonable progress. Despite this, the owner, Jackson, went back to Bello El-Rufai to lobby for another N8 billion worth of projects.

“Bello made sure his father listened to him and got the government to award another contract to Jackson in September 2020,” a source close to the company told SaharaReporters.

This contract was later revised upwards to N17.2 billion, again citing economic realities, court filings show.

A letter dated September 15, 2020, from KADRA confirmed the project and even detailed that N2 billion would be paid upfront upon signing.

In the same court document cited above, James Ibrahim provided further details on the second contract awarded to the company.

He said: “That the Plaintiff was also awarded the Zaria road contract by the 1st Defendant after bidding and by separate Contract dated and executed on the 20th day of October, 2020, the Plaintiff entered into an agreement with the 1st Defendant to design and reconstruct the Cloverleaf Interchange/Bridges at KofarDokka, Zaria and at along Dan Magaji Road, Zaria, Kaduna State for an agreed consideration.

 ”That after a review of the additional works to be the executed by the Plaintiff and due to economic inflation, the contract sum for the Zaria Road project was also upwardly revised to the sum of N17, 262, 790. 888. 60 from N8, 739, 403, 114. 74. The need for the revised contract sum was mainly due to increase in cost of construction materials such as asphalts, stone base, cements, diesel, increase in foreign exchange rate, petrol, labour cost etc.”

Over N16 Billion Paid For Undelivered Project

Documents reviewed by SaharaReporters show that between July 2020 and May 2023, the Kaduna Government paid Ronchess N8.56 billion from the Kaduna roads contract and another N8.19 billion from the Zaria project. This brings the total amount disbursed to the company to over N16.7 billion.

Yet, multiple insiders and official documents confirm that most of these projects were either left incomplete or abandoned outright.

“By late 2022, El-Rufai was furious. He threatened to terminate the contracts because nothing meaningful was being delivered. But Jackson played him. He arranged for Adeolu Adeboye, son of Pastor Enoch Adeboye of RCCG (The Redeemed Christian Church of God), to visit El-Rufai to rekindle trust. It worked. El-Rufai ordered more payments,” the source revealed.

Despite receiving billions, only a handful of minor projects, like Waziri, Isa Kaita, and parts of Sultan Surame roads, saw completion. The majority, especially the Zaria interchange and bridge, were abandoned midway.

“In the end, El-Rufai realised Jackson had only used his son to make money off the government. The company never had the capacity from the start,” an insider told SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters also learned Adeolu Adeboye and other Directors of the company have been evading accountability for the diverted funds and unfinished project.

Following the Kaduna State Government and House of Assembly’s probe into the alleged fraud, the cleric’s son filed a suit (FHC/L/CS/1206/24) at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Adeolu seeks an injunction restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna State Government, and the House of Assembly from arresting or detaining him over the abandoned N17.26 billion project.

The EFCC, Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Kaduna State Government and Kaduna State House of Assembly are the 1st to 6th Respondents, respectively.

All efforts made by SaharaReporters to reach Bello El-Rufai for comments proved abortive. However, a source close to his team who spoke to SaharaReporters said Bello had no knowledge of the contract between Ronchess Nigeria Limited and the Kaduna State Government.

“It’s true that Bello knew the owner of Ronchess, but there’s no truth in the claim that the contracts were awarded through his influence,” the source said.

When SaharaReporters contacted the company’s CEO, Jackson Ukuevo, for a reaction, he denied the allegation, insisting that Ronchess was awarded the contracts through a competitive and transparent bidding process.

“The claim that we got those projects from the Kaduna Government because I know Bello or Seyi is simply not true, and frankly, it’s unreasonable. We participated in the bidding process and won those contracts on merit. We even had meetings with the state executive council to demonstrate our competence for the projects,” he said.

Ukuevo further explained the payment structure of the contract, clarifying that Ronchess was paid based on project milestones, not through any lump-sum deal or favouritism.

He said, “Government is owing us money. We have completed about 60% of the work, and the payments are tied strictly to project measurements. I work, you measure, and you pay me. That’s how it works — milestone by milestone. If you see how the payment got to ₦16 billion, it didn’t come at once; it came through the stages of work done.

“I work, you measure, calculate it, and pay me for the work completed. I work again, you calculate again, I submit an invoice, and you pay. It’s just like when you’re building a house — if you want to build a house worth ₦100 million, you don’t hand the engineer ₦100 million upfront. You release funds gradually. After the foundation is done, then you ask for more money.

“How do you expect us to execute government capital projects with our own money? We have done 60% of these projects, and what caused us to stop was the change of government. The new administration halted all contractors engaged during El-Rufai’s tenure, not just us.”

When questioned about the company’s lack of experience, he dismissed the concerns, arguing that handling road marking projects did not imply inexperience. He cited Julius Berger as an example, saying the construction giant also started small.

He further claimed to have been involved in construction projects since the administration of Babatunde Fashola as Lagos State governor, between 2007 and 2015.

On August 30, 2024, Ronchess Global Resources Plc, in a rejoinder to a SaharaReporters’ report with Ref: A&C/RC/PUB-01/08/2024, and titled “Pastor Adeolu Adeboye was never awarded any contract by the Kaduna State Government,” stated that the contracts for the projects were awarded before Adeboye joined the company as a director.

The report was signed by Adesoji Adedoyin, Esq on behalf of Ronchess Global Resources Plc.

It admitted that the projects were left, but said they were stopped because the Kaduna State Government failed to pay for the projects executed/completed, amounting to N1,391,782,486.45 (N1.39 billion).

While the firm admitted that Pastor Adeolu Adeboye was a member of the board of Ronchess Global Resources Plc, it, however, said he was not part of the company when the contracts were awarded.

The firm said Adeolu joined in 2021.

It said, “In fact, Pastor Adeolu Adeboye was not even instrumental to the award of the contracts. He (Pastor Adeolu) was neither a Board member nor a Shareholder of Ronchess at the time the contract was awarded to Ronchess.”

Follow the Sahara Reporters channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaFClvtH5JM6SSsP7M2Y

Leave a Comment
Ads Blocker Image Powered by Code Help Pro

Ads Blocker Detected & This Is Prohibited!!!

We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads and you are also not using our official app. Your Account Have been Flagged and reported, pending de-activation & All your earning will be wiped out. Please turn off the software to continue

You cannot copy content of this app