President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and the suspension of three permanent secretaries following the discovery of 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.
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this on Friday while briefing State House correspondents after updating President Tinubu on the commission’s investigations for the second consecutive day.
According to Aliyu, the newly uncovered entity, operating as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, had been allocated office space within the OSGF premises without presidential approval and in violation of existing regulations.
Aliyu said the discovery was made during the commission’s broader investigation into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIFC) and procedural weaknesses within the public service, following a directive from the President.
“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,” he said.
He said the office had been illegally allocated space within the OSGF and was allegedly promoted by Nwabueze, with suspected collaborators within the government office.
“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.
The ICPC chairman further disclosed that the suspect operated under several variations of his name, including George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze.
He said the commission had engaged the OSGF to obtain relevant information concerning the fake office and had fully briefed the President on the latest findings.
“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” Aliyu said.
Following the discovery, Aliyu said President Tinubu directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and the suspension of the three permanent secretaries allegedly connected to the matter.
“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 development comes amid the ongoing investigation into the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, with the ICPC continuing its probe into fraudulent entities and procedural lapses within the public service.
According to reports, the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is the fourth fake agency to be uncovered since the PFIFC scandal emerged in early April.
