President Bola Tinubu has ordered the arrest of the alleged mastermind behind another fake government agency uncovered within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), while three permanent secretaries have been suspended over the unfolding scandal.
The latest controversy erupted after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) discovered a bogus office operating as the “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office” inside the OSGF without presidential approval.
The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, revealed the development on Friday after briefing President Tinubu for the second time in 48 hours on investigations into fake government entities and loopholes within the public service.
Aliyu said the suspected promoter of the fake office, identified as Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, had allegedly secured government recognition and office space despite having no lawful authority to operate as a government agency.
According to him, investigations showed that Nwabueze operated under different names, including George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze.
The ICPC boss said the fake outfit had “active suspected collaborators” within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, prompting further investigation into how the organisation gained access to government facilities.
Following the briefing, President Tinubu directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries — M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah — pending further investigation.
Aliyu said the commission would continue its probe into the latest discovery while working with relevant government institutions to uncover those involved.
The fresh scandal comes barely weeks after the exposure of another fake body, the fictitious “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC), whose alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is facing prosecution for forgery and impersonation.
An ICPC interim report submitted to President Tinubu on August 6 after a 30-day investigation had also revealed the existence of other suspected fake government organisations, including the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.
With the discovery of the “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” the number of fake agencies uncovered in the widening probe has risen further, raising fresh concerns over loopholes that allow unauthorised individuals to operate in the name of the Federal Government.
The Presidency has vowed to tighten oversight within the civil service and ensure that individuals behind fraudulent government structures face the full weight of the law.
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