Fake Agencies: Tinubu suspends three Perm Secs as ICPC Uncovers Fresh Scam
President Tinubu had directed the immediate arrest of Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, as well as the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries.
This is sequel to the discovery by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) who uncovered another alleged fake government agency in Abuja, barely weeks after exposing the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed this on Friday after briefing President Bola Tinubu on the latest findings from the commission’s ongoing investigation into fictitious agencies and weaknesses in public sector processes.
Aliyu said the newly uncovered entity, operating as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, had allegedly secured office accommodation within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) without authorisation from the President.
He said the discovery was made during the broader investigation into the PFIPC, which President Tinubu had directed the ICPC to undertake.
According to the ICPC chairman, the purported agency was promoted by Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who allegedly operated under several variations of his name, including George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Buchi Nwabueze.
Aliyu said the commission was engaging relevant officials in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to establish how the purported agency came to operate from government premises and to obtain other vital information required for the investigation.
“I have briefed Mr. President comprehensively on these new developments. ICPC will continue with its investigation,” he said.
The affected permanent secretaries, according to the ICPC chairman, are M. S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard Pheelangwah.
The commission is expected to establish the roles played by the suspended officials and other individuals in the emergence and operation of the purported agency.
Aliyu said the latest discovery underscored the need for tighter controls and greater scrutiny of government institutions and internal administrative processes.
He commended President Tinubu for ordering a wider policy audit of federal agencies and government processes, describing the initiative as a proactive measure to strengthen the governance system.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must be commended for the proactive step of directing the policy audit of MDAs and internal government processes towards strengthening government governance system,” he said.
The latest development has widened the scope of the ICPC’s investigation into the proliferation of fictitious government entities and alleged exploitation of official structures by individuals seeking to create the impression of government authority.
The commission’s investigation into the PFIPC was initiated after the purported agency came under scrutiny, with the President subsequently directing the ICPC to unravel those behind its operations and determine whether public officials facilitated its activities.
With the discovery of another purported agency operating from government premises, the ICPC probe is now expected to examine broader institutional weaknesses that may have enabled unauthorised entities to gain access to Federal Government facilities and present themselves as legitimate government bodies.
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