President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and directed the suspension of three permanent secretaries following the discovery of another fictitious agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The suspended permanent secretaries are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed the presidential directives on Friday after briefing Tinubu for the second consecutive day.
Aliyu said the ICPC uncovered the fake entity, identified as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, during its ongoing investigation into fictitious government agencies and weaknesses in the public service.
According to him, the office had been illegally allocated space within the premises of the OSGF despite having no presidential authorisation and contrary to existing laws.
“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 explained that the discovery was made as part of the broader investigation earlier ordered by the president.
The ICPC chairman identified Nwabueze as the promoter of the fictitious office, alleging that he operated with collaborators within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Aliyu further disclosed that Nwabueze allegedly operated under several variations of his name, including George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze.
“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,” he said.
The ICPC chairman said the commission had engaged the OSGF to obtain relevant information concerning the fictitious office and had subsequently briefed the president on its findings.
He added that the commission would continue its investigation into the matter.
Following the briefing, Aliyu said Tinubu ordered the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and the suspension of the three permanent secretaries allegedly connected to the development.
“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 investigation into fictitious government bodies following the exposure of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The self-styled Director-General of the council, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently facing prosecution over allegations of forgery and impersonation.
An interim ICPC report submitted to Tinubu on August 6, following a 30-day investigation, had also revealed two other fictitious entities: 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, therefore, becomes the fourth fake agency uncovered by the ICPC in connection with the wider investigation since the PFIFC scandal emerged in early April.
