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•Phony ‘National Brands Development’ office discovered in SGF’s office •Tinubu orders arrest of Nwabueze, 3 permanent secretaries
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, over the alleged operation of a fake government agency within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The president also ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries following fresh findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in its investigation into alleged fake government agencies and weaknesses in public service processes.
The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, disclosed this on Friday, while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Aliyu said the commission had uncovered another alleged fake office operating within the OSGF premises, identified as the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.
According to him, the office was allegedly allocated space within the OSGF without presidential authorisation.
The ICPC chairman said the discovery was made during the commission’s broader investigation into the activities of the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and other procedural weaknesses in government.
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Aliyu said Nwabueze, who allegedly operated under several variations of his name, promoted the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.
The commission alleged that the office operated with the involvement of suspected collaborators within the OSGF.
He said the ICPC had engaged officials of the OSGF to obtain relevant information concerning the office and subsequently briefed President Tinubu on its findings.
“Following the briefing, Mr President directed the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze,” Aliyu said.
The ICPC chairman also disclosed that the President ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries identified as M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
Aliyu said the commission’s investigation was ongoing and warned that further actions could follow as additional facts emerge.
The latest discovery comes as the ICPC intensifies its investigation into alleged unauthorised entities operating within government structures, following President Tinubu’s directive to probe the alleged fake PFIPC.
The commission chairman commended Tinubu for ordering a forensic audit of government processes, describing the move as a proactive step towards strengthening governance and closing loopholes that could facilitate abuse within the public service.
