How fake agency deployed ‘federal character’ in nationwide appointments

The National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, the fake agency uncovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, as illegally domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, had gone to considerable lengths to mirror the federal character principle in its appointments.

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It deployed coordinators drawn from Nigeria’s major ethnic and regional groups across virtually every state of the federation.

Chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, had disclosed to State House correspondents in Abuja that the Commission uncovered the fake office in the course of its ongoing investigation into the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council PFIPC and other procedural weaknesses in the public service.

According to him, “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 identified the promoter of the office as one Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who investigators say operated under multiple aliases with the suspected collaboration of senior public servants in the OSGF.

He said, “The Promoter George Buchi Nwabueze was discovered to also operate under four other variations of his name: George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Hon. George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze.” A profile on the outfit’s own website listed one Hon. Nwabueze George as “Executive Director, National Coordinator,” a designation that corroborates the name at the centre of the ICPC probe.

A review of the outfit’s website, madeinnigeriang.org, showed that the appointments cut across the North and South in a manner that closely tracked the constitutional federal character requirement that federal appointments reflect the diversity of the country.

At the national level, the leadership comprised Dr Bassey B. Unaowo, presented as Special Assistant to the Permanent Secretary on Political and Economic Affairs in the OSGF, and Dr Hajara Njidda Amoni, listed as Director, National Administration, alongside Nwabueze.

Below them, three Zonal Directors anchored the geopolitical spread, namely Mr Oladunjoye Musiliua for the South West, Barr. Hafsat Sahabi Dange for the North, and Mrs Ugochi Akudo Nwosu for the South East.

The pattern held at the state level. Coordinators drawn from the North West included Dr Babangida Kabir Ruma for Katsina State, Hon. Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim for Kaduna State, Hussaini Abdullahi for Kebbi State, Hon. Ibrahim Bello Marafa for Zamfara State and Hon. Ibrahim Umar Aliyu for Sokoto State.

From the North Central belt came Hon. Osolafia Muhammed for Nasarawa State, Mrs Salome Audu Bidda for Plateau State, Haj. Zainab Mohammed for Niger State, Hon. Orduen Andrew Ikon for Benue State and Hon. Justin Aondoaseer Tyopuusu, also of Benue extraction, while Hon. Olorukooba Bidemi covered Kogi State in the North Central.

Representing the North East was Hon. Farouq Siyi for Bauchi State, The South was similarly represented, with Hon. Dr Godwin Adolor coordinating Delta State, Hon. Mrs Nwosu Chinyere R. and Hon. Chiamaka Nnake covering Abia and Anambra States respectively in the South East, and Amb. Orioye G. Benedict, Hon. Engr Kehinde Akintonide, Hon. Olugbemi Adetola Adelowokan and Alhaji Bello Kolawole Ghaffar coordinating Ondo, Ogun and Osun and Oyo States respectively in the South West. Hon. Abubakar Ahmad Hichi, styled “Khalifa,” rounded off the list of state coordinators, extending the ethnic and religious spread of the fictitious structure even further.

To complete the appearance of a genuinely national, inclusive outfit, the promoters also ran social media handles under the tag “@pmainpro” across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X) and LinkedIn, projecting a public face that belied the fact that, according to ICPC, the entire office existed without presidential authorisation and contrary to extant laws.

Following the briefing, President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and the suspension of three Permanent Secretaries, namely M.S. Danjuma, Engr Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah, pending the outcome of investigations.

Aliyu said the Commission had engaged officials of the OSGF to obtain more information on how the fictitious office secured accommodation within the Secretariat and would continue to unravel the roles played by the suspended officials and other individuals connected to the network of coordinators.

“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” Aliyu said.