Another Fake Agency Uncovered in SGF’s Office; Three Permanent Secretaries Suspended
ABUJA, NIGERIA — How many more fake agencies are there in Nigeria’s federal bureaucracy? Authorities have been left scratching their heads once again after the discovery of an illegal entity by the name of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.
The agency was operating within the official building housing the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The latest findings were revealed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
It comes after President Bola Tinubu ordered a comprehensive audit of agencies and special offices purportedly operating in the name of the President.
The Discovery
ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, SAN, while briefing newsmen on Friday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said the entity operated without presidential approval. He said the President has directed the immediate arrest of the promoter and the suspension of three permanent secretaries. It was also revealed that a certain Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, operating under multiple aliases, is behind the agency.
The discovery comes after the massive scandal that trailed the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC)—a fake agency that managed to bypass bureaucratic processes until it was linked to the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
The ICPC confirmed that the newly discovered fraudulent office operated with the help of internal collaborators inside the OSGF.
Apart from the promoter of the agency who has been pinned for arrest and prosecution, three permanent secretaries have been suspended indefinitely for their suspected involvement.
They are M.S. Danjuma, Engineer Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
Systemic Reforms Underway
The ICPC boss stated that the investigation remains active in line with President Tinubu’s directive for a forensic audit of public service processes, calling it a vital step toward safeguarding the governance system and preventing future institutional abuses.
