President Bola Tinubu has ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries and the arrest of one Prince George Buchi Nwabueze over the discovery of another fake agency operating under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The permanent secretaries are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
The development was disclosed on Friday by the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, after a meeting with the president.
Aliyu said the latest discovery involved the “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” which had been allocated office space within the OSGF despite not being a government agency and without presidential authorisation.
“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.
The ICPC said the office was promoted by Nwabueze, who allegedly operated using several variations of his name and had 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.
“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.
The commission’s investigation into the fake office followed Tinubu’s earlier directive after the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
Aliyu said the ICPC had engaged the OSGF as part of efforts to establish how the fake office gained access to government premises.
“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly.
“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 ICPC had earlier uncovered the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, whose Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is facing prosecution on charges of forgery and impersonation.
An ICPC interim report submitted to Tinubu on August 6 identified the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership as fictitious bodies.
(The Whistler)