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President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, identified by the ICPC as the alleged promoter of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, which the commission says was operating without presidential authorisation.
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The alleged fake agency was allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) despite, according to the ICPC, not being authorised by the President or established in accordance with extant laws governing government agencies.
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Tinubu also ordered the immediate suspension of three Permanent Secretaries (M.S. Danjuma, Engineer Nadungu Gagare and Richard Pheelangwah), as the ICPC investigates how the unauthorised organisation secured space and operated within the Federal Government’s administrative complex.
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The discovery was made during an expanded ICPC investigation into another alleged fake government body, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), with the commission now examining administrative loopholes that could allow fictitious agencies to gain access to government facilities.
August 22, (THEWILL) — President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of the alleged promoter of another fake government agency discovered operating from office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The President also directed the immediate suspension of three Permanent Secretaries over the development, according to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu.
Aliyu disclosed this on Friday while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The ICPC chairman identified the organisation as the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, saying it had been illegally allocated office space within the SGF’s premises.
He said the organisation was not authorised by the President and had not been established in accordance with the laws and procedures governing the creation and operation of government agencies.
“The ICPC has uncovered another fake agency and office operating under the name National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, which had been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation”, Aliyu said.
According to him, the discovery was made during the commission’s wider investigation into the previously uncovered fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The ICPC had earlier commenced investigations into the alleged fictitious council following President Tinubu’s directive, and the probe subsequently led investigators to the discovery of the new organisation operating within the SGF complex.
Aliyu said the commission had briefed President Tinubu on the latest findings.
“The discovery was made in the course of the ICPC’s broader investigation, as earlier directed by Mr President, and the commission has briefed him comprehensively on these new developments”, he added.
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Tinubu Orders Arrest
The ICPC identified Prince George Buchi Nwabueze as the alleged promoter of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.
Aliyu said Nwabueze allegedly promoted the purported agency without presidential authorisation, contrary to extant laws governing the establishment and operation of government agencies.
Following the findings presented to him, President Tinubu directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze.
“Accordingly, Mr President has directed the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and the immediate suspension of the following Permanent Secretaries: M.S Danjuma, Engineer Nadungu Gagare, and Richard Pheelangwah”, Aliyu stated.
However, Aliyu said the commission had engaged the Office of the SGF to obtain vital information relating to the alleged fake agency.
Aliyu further linked the latest development to the forensic audit of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and internal government processes ordered by President Tinubu.
The investigation into the alleged fake agencies, he said, forms part of the broader effort to strengthen government systems and prevent abuses within the public service.
Aliyu said the commission would continue its investigation and provide the President with relevant information as the probe progresses.
The ICPC chairman said the latest discovery underscored the importance of strengthening transparency, accountability and integrity within the Federal Government’s administrative structures.
He said the commission would focus on identifying and eliminating loopholes that could facilitate the creation of fictitious agencies and offices.
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