Tinubu Suspends Three Permanent Secretaries Over Fresh Fake Agency

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries after uncovering fake agency operating from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

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

The President also directed the immediate arrest of George Buchi Nwabueze, identified as the promoter of the alleged fake agency.

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, announced the development on Friday after briefing Tinubu for the second time in two days.

Aliyu had earlier met with the President on Thursday.

According to him, the newly discovered agency operates under the name, “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office.”

He said the office was given space within the OSGF premises without proper legal approval or authorisation from the President.

Aliyu explained that the discovery was made during the ICPC’s wider investigation into fake government agencies, following the President’s earlier directive.

The ICPC chairman said Nwabueze was behind the organisation and allegedly used several different names.

“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 said the commission had contacted the OSGF to obtain important information about the organisation and had briefed the President on its findings.

“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly.

“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 latest discovery is connected to a wider investigation into fake government bodies.

The controversy first gained attention after the exposure of the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIFC).

Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the council’s Director-General, is currently facing prosecution over allegations of forgery and impersonation.

An interim ICPC report submitted to the President on August 6, after a 30-day investigation, had also identified two other alleged fake 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 now the fourth alleged fake agency uncovered by the ICPC since the PFIFC case came to light in April.

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