How fake agency deployed ‘federal character’ in nationwide appointments

A fraudulent agency, masquerading as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, has been exposed for illegally operating within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovered the fake entity during its investigation into other fictitious public service operations.

The agency went to considerable lengths to mimic Nigeria's federal character principle, appointing coordinators from the country's major ethnic and regional groups across nearly every state. This deliberate mirroring of national diversity in its appointments aimed to legitimize its operations, according to ICPC Chairman Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu.

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Upon further briefing by ICPC to Mr President on the ongoing investigations into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and procedural weaknesses in the public service, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered another fake agency and office operating under the name National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, which has been illegally allocated office space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Dr Aliyu revealed that the promoter, identified as Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, operated under several aliases, including George Nathan and Hon. George Buchi Nwabueze. Investigators suspect Nwabueze collaborated with senior public servants within the OSGF to facilitate the illegal operation and secure office space.

An examination of the outfit's website, madeinnigeriang.org, showed a leadership structure that included Dr Bassey B. Unaowo as Special Assistant to the Permanent Secretary on Political and Economic Affairs in the OSGF, and Dr Hajara Njidda Amoni as Director, National Administration, alongside Nwabueze. The website also detailed state-level coordinators, reflecting a pattern of appointments designed to span the nation's geopolitical spread.

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The Promoter George Buchi Nwabueze was discovered to also operate under four other variations of his name: George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Hon. George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze.