JUST IN: Tinubu Orders Arrest of Nwabueze, Suspends 3 Perm Secs Over New Fake Agency

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of one Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and suspended three permanent secretaries following the discovery of another alleged fake agency operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

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

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this on Friday after briefing the President for the second consecutive day on the commission’s investigation into fictitious government agencies.

According to Aliyu, the latest discovery involves an outfit known as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which allegedly operated from office space within the OSGF without presidential approval and contrary to public service regulations.

He said the outfit was promoted by Nwabueze, who allegedly operated under several variations of his name.

“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 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, “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.”

He said the discovery emerged in the course of the commission’s broader investigation, as earlier directed by President Tinubu, and identified the promoter of the fake office as one Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who was found 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.

He revealed that the ICPC had engaged the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation 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.

The development follows the earlier discovery of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, whose alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is facing prosecution over forgery and impersonation allegations.

An ICPC interim report submitted to the President on August 6 had also identified two other alleged 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 therefore the fourth alleged fake agency uncovered by the ICPC in the wake of the investigation into the fictitious government bodies.