Another fake agency! FG suspends three perm secs, orders arrest

FILE: President Bola Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries over the discovery of another fake agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The affected PS are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah.

The President also ordered the arrest of one George Buchi Nwabueze.

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Friday after briefing the President for the second time in two days, following an earlier meeting on Thursday.

Aliyu said the newly uncovered 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, contrary to extant laws and without presidential authorisation.

He said the discovery emerged in the course of the commission’s broader investigation, as earlier directed by the President.

The ICPC boss identified the promoter of the fake office as one George Nwabueze, who was said to be operating under multiple aliases.

“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.

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“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.

He revealed that the ICPC had engaged the OSGF to ascertain vital information relating to the fake office under investigation, and had comprehensively briefed the President on the new developments.

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

Aliyu said following the discovery, “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.

Friday’s development is the latest in a scandal that began with the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, whose self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, is currently facing prosecution on charges of forgery and impersonation.

The ICPC’s interim report, submitted to the President on August 6 after a 30-day investigation, had 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 National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is the fourth fake agency uncovered after the PFIFC scandal since early April.