Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of George Buchi Nwabueze and directed the suspension of three permanent secretaries following the discovery of another alleged fake government agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed the development on Friday after briefing the President for the second time in two days.
The agency uncovered an office operating as the “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office”, which Aliyu said had been allocated space within the OSGF without presidential authorisation and in breach of existing regulations.
He said the discovery was made during the ICPC’s wider investigation into the previously uncovered Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIFC) and procedural weaknesses within the public service.
“Upon further briefing by ICPC to Mr President on the ongoing investigations into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and procedural weaknesses in the public service, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered another fake agency and office operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which has been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” Aliyu said.
According to the ICPC chairman, Nwabueze was identified as the promoter of the office and allegedly operated using several variations of his name.
“The fake agency office, National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, was promoted by one George Buchi Nwabueze, with active suspected collaborators in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, contrary to extant laws and without authorisation of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The promoter was discovered to also operate under four other variations of his name: George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze,” Aliyu said.
Aliyu said the commission had engaged the OSGF to obtain relevant information concerning the newly identified office and had presented its findings to the President.
“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” he said.
Following the briefing, Aliyu said the President ordered Nwabueze’s immediate arrest and the suspension of M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
“Mr President has directed as follows: the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze; the immediate suspension of the following permanent secretaries; M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah,” he said.
The latest discovery is part of an expanding ICPC investigation that began after the exposure of the fictitious PFIFC. Its self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is facing prosecution over allegations of forgery and impersonation.
An ICPC interim report submitted to the President on August 6, following a 30-day investigation, had also identified the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership as other fictitious bodies.
The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is the fourth alleged fake agency uncovered in connection with the wider investigation since the PFIFC case emerged in April.
