- The alleged fake National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office listed staff across several states and two foreign countries on its website
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the arrest of the office’s promoter and suspended three permanent secretaries after ICPC uncovered the unauthorised body
- Fact-finders found indications that some of those listed had previously held public positions, though their awareness of the alleged fraud has not been confirmed
FCT, Abuja – Findings have revealed the scale of the alleged fake National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, which operated with a detailed organisational structure spanning at least 20 Nigerian states and claimed representatives in the United States (US) and China.
Per The Punch on Saturday, August 22, a review of the office’s website showed that Nwabueze George was listed as “Executive Director, National Coordinator,” supported by a director of national administration, three zonal directors, 20 state coordinators, and country representatives for the US and China. The Nigerian Tribune also highlighted the list of the head of Nigeria’s new ‘fake’ agency, its 20 state coordinators and other officials.
Source: Facebook
Tinubu orders arrest after ICPC discovery
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed on Friday, August 21, that President Bola Tinubu had ordered the immediate arrest of George Nwabueze, described by the commission as the promoter of the alleged fake office.
Tinubu also suspended three permanent secretaries (M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah) following the discovery of the body, which had been allocated space inside the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) without any presidential authorisation.
The ICPC added that the promoter operated under multiple name variations, including George Nathan Nwabueze, George Buchi Nwabueze, and George Buchi Nwabueze.
The website placed the project under the oversight of the permanent secretary, political and economic affairs, in the OSGF, and listed Bassey B. Unaowo as “special assistant to the permanent secretary on political and economic affairs.” Hajara Njidda Amoni was named director, National Administration, while Oladunjoye Musiliua, Hafsat Sahabi Dange, and Mrs Ugochi Akudo Nwosu appeared as zonal directors for the south-west, north, and south-east respectively.
ICPC flags alleged fake agency operations
The site named individuals as state coordinators across Katsina, Kaduna, Delta, Kebbi, Osun, Anambra, Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Ondo, Ogun, Sokoto, Abia, Zamfara, Niger, Kano, Taraba, Oyo, Bauchi, and Kogi.
Among those listed, Justin Aondoaseer Tyopuusu was named Taraba state coordinator.
Check out the ICPC’s statement regarding the alleged new fake federal agency below via its post:
Recent reports have also identified him as a special assistant to Taraba Governor Agbu Kefas on digital economy. Legit.ng has not independently confirmed his involvement with the office. The presence of any individual’s name on the website does not establish that they knew the organisation was allegedly operating without government authorisation.
For its claimed international operations, the website listed Emmanuel Enemali Achema as country representative for the United States and Ameh Enedugbojo Glory as country representative for China.
All three phone numbers listed on the office’s website were switched off as of the time of this report, and a message sent to the national coordinator had not been replied to.
The ICPC had previously flagged three other alleged fictitious bodies: the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), the FCT Investment Promotion Agency, and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.
The National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office website listed the following as state coordinators:
- Katsina: Babangida Kabir Ruma
- Kaduna: Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim
- Delta: Godwin Adolor
- Kebbi: Hussaini Abdullahi, Esq.
- Osun: Olugbemi Adetola Adelowokan
- Anambra: Chiamaka Nnake
- Nasarawa: Osolafia Muhammed
- Plateau: Mrs Salome Audu Bidda
- Benue: Orduen Andrew Ikon
- Ondo: Amb. Orioye G. Benedict
- Ogun: Engr. Kehinde Akintonide
- Sokoto: Ibrahim Umar Aliyu
- Abia: Mrs Nwosu Chinyere R.
- Zamfara: Ibrahim Bello Marafa
- Niger: Haj. Zainab Mohammed
- Kano: Abubakar Ahmad Bichi
- Taraba: Justin Aondoaseer Tyopuusu
- Oyo: Alhaji Bello Kolawole Ghaffar, FCA
- Bauchi: Farouq Siyi
- Kogi: Olorukooba Bidemi
‘Fake agency’ boss insists office legitimate
Meanwhile, Nwabueze, the national coordinator and executive director of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, has continued to defend the legitimacy of the office, posting additional documents he said showed its links with the OSGF.
Nwabueze, who posted the documents on his LinkedIn page on Sunday, August 23, shared a letter dated July 19, 2010, purportedly issued by the OSGF.
According to The Cable, the letter, referenced NIG@ 50/S. 7/C,3/45 and signed by Dominic Y.E. for the SGF, was addressed to “Buchi George,” then “Executive Director of The Hats Centre” in Owerri, Imo state.
Titled, “RE: ENDORSEMENT OF OUR PROJECT, MADE IN NAIJA, TO BE HELD IN IRELAND,” the letter acknowledged receipt of a proposal dated July 16, 2010, seeking endorsement of a “Made in Naija” project to be held in Ireland as part of Nigeria’s 50th anniversary.
Anambra SSG clarifies ‘fake’ agency role
Similarly, Chiamaka Nnake, the secretary to the Anambra state government, clarified her alleged involvement with a purported federal agency operating from the OSGF.
Nnake said the office was planning to organise a Made-in-Nigeria fair in the state after she was nominated as the “focal person” for Anambra State.
She said following the nominations, “focal persons” from the 36 states had been in a WhatsApp group discussing issues relating to the activities of the office.
In a statement she released late on Saturday, August 22, Nnake said the office wrote to the state requesting that Anambra host the South-East Made-in-Nigeria Fair.
According to her, after the request was approved, an inaugural meeting was held about two weeks ago, with the national coordinator in attendance.
However, following the discovery by the ICPC that the office was purportedly fake, the Anambra SSG said the state government had been misled into hosting its maiden Made-in-Nigeria fair in Anambra in December.
She made the clarification in a statement titled, “Clarification on the ‘Made-in-Nigeria Agency’ and my role as State Focal Person,” saying it became necessary to set the record straight.
Atiku reacts as ICPC uncovers ‘fake’ agencies
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar rejected the interim report by the ICPC on the alleged fake PFIPC, saying it does not amount to a clean bill of health for the presidency.
The opposition leader’s senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, issued the statement on Atiku’s behalf.
Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, argued that the report itself recorded evidence of negligence and connivance within government circles, which he said made it impossible to conclude that only one person was responsible for the alleged operation.
Source: Legit.ng