ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the arrest of George Buchi Nwabueze and suspended three permanent secretaries following the discovery of another alleged fake government agency by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The affected permanent secretaries are M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah.
The Chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, disclosed the development to State House correspondents on Friday after briefing the President for the second time in two days.
Aliyu said the newly uncovered office, operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, was allegedly functioning as an unauthorised government agency.
According to him, the office was illegally allocated space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), contrary to extant laws and without presidential authorisation.
The development is part of an ongoing crackdown on alleged fraudulent activities involving the creation and operation of unauthorised government institutions and agencies.
Although details of the alleged scheme and the specific roles of the affected officials are still emerging, the suspension of the three permanent secretaries is expected to allow for an unhindered investigation.
Security and anti-corruption agencies are also expected to move against Nwabueze in line with the President’s directive.
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The latest action underscores the Federal Government’s renewed efforts to tackle corruption, the impersonation of government institutions and other fraudulent practices within the public sector.
The ICPC is expected to provide further details as investigations continue into the alleged scheme.
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