The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered yet another fake federal agency operating in the country. ICPC Spokesperson, John Odey, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. He said the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, made the statement while addressing newsmen at the State House after briefing President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Friday.
The ICPC chairman said that the fresh finding was an offshoot of the ongoing investigations of the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) promoted by Adeniyi Matthew. According to him, the fake agency is known as the “National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.” He said the agency was allegedly promoted by Mr George Nwabueze, with suspected active collaboration from senior public servants in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
According to him, the suspected promoter of the fake agency, Mr George Nwabueze, has been discovered to operate under four variants of his name: Prince George Buch Nwabueze, George Nathan Nwabueze, Hon. George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze. The ICPC chairman said that he has briefed the president on the fresh findings. At Friday’s briefing, Tinubu ordered the arrest of Mr George Buchi Nwabueze and the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries in the OSGF. The suspended permanent secretaries include: MS Danjuma, Nandungu Gagare and Richard Pheelangwa.
The discovery of another fake agency within government systems is a damning indictment of the country’s financial controls. The PFIPC scandal already exposed the system's vulnerability. Now, a second fake agency has been uncovered, this time allegedly involving senior public servants. The president’s swift action is a positive sign, but the question is whether the investigation will lead to prosecutions or just more suspensions.
This echoes the 2012 pension fraud scandal, which also exposed systemic weaknesses in the government’s financial systems. The mechanism was different then, but the result was the same: fake entities embedded in government systems.
The winners: the ICPC, which has uncovered another fraud; and the Nigerian public, who may see accountability. The losers: the suspended permanent secretaries; and the Nigerian government, which faces another credibility crisis.
Bottom Line: Another fake agency has been uncovered. The promoter is under arrest. Three permanent secretaries are suspended. The question is whether this is the tip of the iceberg or the end of the story.