President Bola Tinubu has ordered the arrest of a man identified as George Buchi Nwabueze and directed the suspension of three permanent secretaries following the discovery of another alleged fake government office.
The latest development was announced on Friday by the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, after he briefed the President on the agency’s investigation.
The officials ordered to be suspended are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
According to Aliyu, the newly uncovered office operates under the name “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office” and was allegedly given office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation without the President’s approval.
He said the discovery was made as part of the wider investigation ordered by Tinubu following the exposure of another fictitious government body.
“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 said.
The ICPC chairman identified Nwabueze as the promoter of the office and said the investigation found that he allegedly operated using several versions of his name.
“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 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.
Aliyu explained that the commission had contacted the OSGF as part of efforts to establish how the office came to operate within the government premises and obtain relevant information for the investigation.
He said the President had been fully briefed on the findings and that the commission would continue its probe.
“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” he said.
The ICPC chairman then outlined the directives issued by Tinubu following the briefing.
“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” he said.
Aliyu added: “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.”
The latest discovery is linked to an investigation that began after authorities uncovered the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The organisation’s self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is facing prosecution over allegations including forgery and impersonation.
An interim ICPC report submitted to Tinubu on August 6, following a 30-day investigation, had also identified two other alleged fictitious bodies — the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.
The newly discovered National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office is therefore the fourth alleged fake agency uncovered in connection with the wider investigation since the original PFIFC case emerged in April.
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