ICPC uncovers another fake federal agency; Presidency allegedly orders arrests amid governance credibility crisis

Last Friday, ICPC Chairman Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) announced the uncovering of a fake federal agency called "National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office," allegedly promoted by Prince George Buchi Nwabueze with suspected collaboration from OSGF Permanent Secretaries. Aliyu stated President Tinubu ordered Nwabueze's arrest and suspension of three OSGF Permanent Secretaries—MS Danjuma, Engineer Nandungu Gagare, and Richard Pheelangawa—though proper civil service procedures weren't followed.

Nwabueze counters with an appointment letter dated October 3, 2025 granting him a five-year term as National Coordinator, assigning office space at Room B53 in the OSGF Complex, and claiming the agency has operated since July 2010 under OSGF. He notes organizing events in Nasarawa State and international trade exhibitions. Meanwhile, ICPC insists the agency lacks Presidential authorization and legal backing.

This follows the exposure of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) promoted by Prince Adeyemi Matthew, with ICPC now identifying four fake agencies total. The scandal echoes decades-old ghost worker fraud, revealing systemic failures in government record-keeping and oversight that allow fictitious entities to consume real resources while eroding public trust.

With President Tinubu's delayed forensic audit of MDAs now underway, what institutional reforms would genuinely prevent fake agencies from gaining legitimacy—beyond ceremonial handover notes to substantive verification systems for all government bodies?

SOURCE: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/905264-the-menace-of-fake-agencies-by-reuben-abati.html