The discovery of yet another organisation described by the Federal Government as a fictitious agency has widened concerns over the strength of Nigeria’s public sector controls, coming only weeks after the Presidency disowned the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and ordered an investigation into its operations.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said on Friday that it had uncovered the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which it described as another alleged fake agency.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently ordered the immediate arrest of the organisation’s promoter, George Nwabueze, and the suspension of three permanent secretaries: M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah, over the matter.
The ICPC said the organisation had been allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and allegedly had collaborators within the office.
The development has raised fresh questions about how organisations that present themselves as government-backed entities can operate for years, secure official recognition, interact with public institutions and gain access to government facilities without being detected.
