President Bola Tinubu has ordered the arrest of one George Nwabueze as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovered the alleged operation of a fake government agency within the premises of the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (OSGF).
The president also ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries following the fresh discovery from ICPC’s investigation into alleged fake government agencies and weaknesses in public service processes.
The three permanent secretaries affected are — M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah — over the discovery of the fake agency.
ICPC chairman, Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Friday after briefing the president.
Aliyu said that the fake office, operating under the name “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” had been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the OSGF, against extant laws and without authorisation by the presidency.
He said, “Upon further brief by ICPC to Mr. President on the ongoing investigations into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFICP) and procedural weaknesses in the public service, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) 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 him, the latest discovery surfaced in the course of the ICPC’s broader investigation, as earlier directed by President Tinubu, and identified the promoter of the fake office as one Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who was found to be operating under multiple names.
“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, George Buchi Nwabueze, 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.
He revealed that the ICPC had interacted with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to ascertain vital information relating to the fake office under investigation, and had briefed the President comprehensively on the 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, Engineer Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah,” he said.
The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is the fourth unlawful agency uncovered after the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council scandal in April.
The latest discovery followed the exposure of the disputed PFIFC, whose self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently facing a probe.
The ICPC had, in its interim report submitted to the President on August 6 after a 30-day probe, earlier disclosed the existence of two other fictitious bodies, the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.
The House of Representatives has also instituted a probe on the PFIFC and its disputed DG, with appearances made by the Head of Service of the Federation and the Accountant-General of the Federation.
(Ripples)