President Bola Tinubu has issued an executive order for the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and the suspension of three permanent secretaries. This decisive action follows the discovery of yet another fictitious agency operating unlawfully within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), as uncovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The suspended permanent secretaries are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah. The revelation was disclosed by Dr. Musa Aliyu, SAN, Chairman of the ICPC, during a press briefing with State House correspondents on Friday. This marks the second briefing in as many days, following an initial meeting with the President on Thursday.
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Discovery of the Illicit “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office”
Dr. Aliyu revealed that the ICPC’s ongoing investigations—prompted by President Tinubu’s directives—had uncovered a fraudulent entity operating under the guise of the “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office“. This sham agency had been illegally allocated office space within the OSGF premises, in clear violation of existing laws and without the requisite presidential authorization.
“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,” Dr. Musa Aliyu, SAN stated.
The investigation traced the operation of this fake office to Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who was found to be using multiple aliases to conceal his identity. According to the ICPC, Nwabueze operated under at least four distinct variations of his name, including:
- George Nathan
- George Nathan Nwabueze
- Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze
- Prince George Buchi Nwabueze
- George Nwabueze
The ICPC further alleged that Nwabueze had active collaborators within the OSGF, enabling the fraudulent operation to persist undetected for an unspecified period.
“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,” Dr. Aliyu explained.
The ICPC confirmed that it had engaged the OSGF to obtain critical information regarding the fake office and had subsequently briefed President Tinubu on the findings. The commission reiterated its commitment to pursuing the investigation to its logical conclusion.
“I have briefed Mr President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigations accordingly,” Dr. Aliyu affirmed.
President Tinubu’s Executive Directives and the Broader Scandal
In response to the ICPC’s findings, President Tinubu issued a series of executive directives, including:
- The immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze;
- The immediate suspension of the following permanent secretaries:
- M.S. Danjuma
- Nadungu Gagare
- Richard P. Pheelangwah
This latest development is part of a widening scandal that first came to light in early April with the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). The self-proclaimed Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently facing prosecution on charges of forgery and impersonation.
The ICPC’s interim report, submitted to the President on August 6 following a 30-day investigation, had previously identified two additional fraudulent entities:
- The FCT Investment Promotion Agency
- The Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership
The “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office” now stands as the fourth fake agency uncovered in the ongoing scandal, underscoring the systemic nature of the corruption within certain segments of Nigeria’s public service.
The ICPC has assured that further investigations will proceed with the utmost rigor, with a focus on identifying all individuals and entities complicit in these fraudulent activities. The commission emphasized that such actions undermine public trust and the integrity of Nigeria’s governance structures.
As the situation continues to unfold, stakeholders across Nigeria’s political and administrative spectrum are closely monitoring developments, with calls for stricter oversight mechanisms to prevent future occurrences of this nature.
