Inside story: Why ICPC labelled SGF project office fake

n n

An internal dispute between the promoter of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, George Nwabueze, and some directors in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation might have triggered the controversies surrounding the office, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

n

Multiple officials in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation claimed that the ICPC was misled into believing that the project office was a fake agency by some directors in the SGF office.

n

According to the sources, a quarrel between the directors and Nwabueze prompted the former to petition the ICPC, alleging that the latter was operating a fake agency.

n

One of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter, said, “It is not a fake agency. It is a project office. The ICPC was misled into believing it is a fake agency by some directors.

n

“There was a disagreement between him (Nwabueze) and some directors over some issues, which prompted the directors to petition the ICPC, alleging that someone was running a fake office.

n

“Instead of the ICPC doing due diligence, they saw it as an opportunity to declare that they had discovered another fake agency. That is far from it. It is a project office, not an agency. It can wind down anytime.”

n

Another official also said, “How does a project office become an agency, and why has it been operating since 2010 in that office? ICPC didn’t discover anything; they were misinformed by some people at the SGF office who have scores to settle with the promoter of that office.”

n

Saturday PUNCH noted that since the ICPC’s statement last Friday in which it said the President ordered the arrest of Nwabueze, the agency had been silent.

n

A highly placed source in the ICPC office said no arrest had been made eight days after the President purportedly approved the arrest of Nwabueze.

n

He noted that the suspect was not in custody.

n

“That’s all I can tell you,” the source said.

n

Nwabueze alleges sabotage

n

Meanwhile, Nwabueze, in a statement issued on his behalf by the Directorate of Legal Affairs and Strategic Communications, also disputed the description of the organisation as an unauthorised government agency.

n

He alleged that some serving and retired officials of the OSGF had frustrated the project through administrative sabotage and suppression of official files.

n

According to him, the project is an approved public-private special initiative operating under the OSGF.

n

Nwabueze, in the statement made available to Saturday PUNCH on Friday, claimed that he petitioned the SGF on May 15, 2026, over the alleged withholding of strategic project files, including one relating to the country’s advance delegation to the Asia-Africa Summit 2026 and sub-national energy programmes.

n

He disclosed that he had instituted Suit No. CV/2634/26 before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, over what he described as threats of administrative eviction and file suppression.

n

The embattled promoter maintained that the suit was filed to prevent attempts to remove the project from the OSGF without due administrative process.

n

“The entire subject matter remains subjudice before a court of competent jurisdiction,” he said.

n

Nwabueze noted that the project was anchored on Executive Orders 003 and 005 of 2017 and 2018, respectively.

n

He also cited an official supervisory correspondence, referenced PS-PEAO/2025/008/4, from the Political and Economic Affairs Office of the OSGF, which he said supported the project’s institutional standing.

n

According to him, the correspondence approved a five-member technical committee to oversee the project’s development objectives, monitoring framework and public-private implementation structures.

n

Efforts by Saturday PUNCH to obtain ICPC’s comment on the development proved abortive.

n

Calls to the commission’s spokesman, John Odeh, were not answered, while a message sent to him had yet to be responded to as of the time of filing this report.

n

Similarly, the spokesman for the SGF, Christopher Ugwuegbulam, declined to comment on the allegations without a formal request.

n

“If you want to get my reaction on the allegations, write to us,” he said.

n

The commission had on August 21 announced that it uncovered what it described as another fake federal agency allegedly operating within the OSGF.

n

The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, said the President had ordered Nwabueze’s arrest and the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries in the SGF office in connection with the alleged fake agency.

n

The affected officials are MS Danjuma, Nandungu Gagare and Richard Pheelangwa.

n

Aliyu said the discovery was made during the commission’s investigation into the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council promoted by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew.

n

Tinubu expecting details

n

Meanwhile, the Presidency on Friday said the ICPC had not yet concluded its investigation into how fictitious government agencies operated undetected within the SGF office, urging Nigerians to await the commission’s final recommendations before drawing conclusions on culpability.

n

It said President Tinubu expected the ICPC to pursue the investigations to a logical conclusion and report back to him.

n

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, stated this on Saturday while speaking to Saturday PUNCH on the matter.

n

Ajayi said, “The ICPC has not finished their work. At the end of their investigation, they are supposed to make recommendations to the President and he is expecting them to. They have submitted their preliminary report; they are continuing with their work, and the President has asked them to make recommendations on how to strengthen the system where weaknesses have been spotted. The ICPC has said they have identified weaknesses in the system, so let’s wait for them to do their job.”

n

Reps won’t interfere in probe – Spokesman

n

The deputy spokesman for the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, said the Green Chamber was unlikely to commence a separate investigation into the activities of Nwabueze’s project office.

n

Agbese said the House would not interfere with an investigation already being conducted by the ICPC.

n

He said, “The matter is not before the House. If the ICPC is already investigating it, I think Nigerians should allow the commission to do its work. What we have in the House is the PFIPC issue and of course, everyone knows that the Ad-hoc Committee set up by the leadership of the House to look into the allegations is about to conclude its assignment.”

n n