President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of George Buchi Nwabueze and suspended three permanent secretaries after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovered another fake agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The affected permanent secretaries are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah. The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this on Friday while speaking with State House correspondents after briefing President Tinubu on the development.
ICPC uncovers another fake agency
According to Aliyu, the newly uncovered fake office operates under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office. He said the office had been illegally allocated space within the OSGF premises without presidential authorisation and in violation of existing laws.
Aliyu said the discovery was made during the commission’s wider investigation into fake agencies and procedural weaknesses in the public service. He said the investigation followed an earlier probe into the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
“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,” Aliyu said.
He added that the office had been allocated space within the OSGF without the authorisation of the President.
Nwabueze allegedly operated under multiple names
The ICPC chairman identified Prince George Buchi Nwabueze as the promoter of the fake office. Aliyu said Nwabueze allegedly operated under several variations of his name.
These include George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze. He also said the investigation uncovered suspected collaborators within the OSGF.
“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,” Aliyu said.
Tinubu orders arrest, suspends three permanent secretaries
Following the briefing, Aliyu said President Tinubu issued immediate directives over the discovery. According to him, the President ordered the arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze. Tinubu also directed the immediate 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,” Aliyu said.
The ICPC chairman said the commission would continue its investigation into the fake office and its alleged collaborators.
Investigation follows earlier fake agency scandal
The latest discovery comes after the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. The council’s self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently facing prosecution over alleged forgery and impersonation.
The ICPC’s interim report, submitted to Tinubu on August 6 after a 30-day investigation, had also identified two other fictitious bodies. They were the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.
The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is the fourth fake agency uncovered since the initial fake agency scandal emerged.
Read also: Fake agency probe: ICPC clears Presidency, reveals forged appointment letters
