INTERNAL DISPUTE TRIGGERS PROBE INTO CONTROVERSIAL SGF PROJECT OFFICE

An internal disagreement within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation may have contributed to the controversy surrounding the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office.

The project office recently came under scrutiny after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission described it as a fake agency during its investigation into alleged unauthorised government bodies.

However, officials within the Office of the SGF have disputed that characterisation, insisting that the outfit is a project office rather than a standalone government agency. They alleged that the ICPC may have been misled into believing that the office was operating illegally.

According to multiple officials familiar with the matter, the controversy reportedly began after a disagreement between George Nwabueze, the promoter of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, and some directors within the SGF's office.

The officials claimed that the disagreement eventually led some of the directors to petition the ICPC, alleging that Nwabueze was operating a fake government office.

One of the officials, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to discuss the matter, reportedly maintained that the office was not a fake agency but a project office within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The official further alleged that the ICPC's investigation was influenced by the complaint submitted by the directors following their disagreement with Nwabueze.

Nwabueze has also rejected the description of the outfit as a fake agency. He has insisted that the Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office has existed within the SGF's office for several years and that its activities predate the current administration.

According to him, records show that the initiative dates back to 2010, making it considerably older than the current controversy surrounding its existence.

Nwabueze questioned how an initiative that had reportedly operated within the SGF's office for years could suddenly be identified as a fake agency.

The controversy emerged during a wider ICPC investigation into the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and other entities suspected of operating without proper government authorisation.

The anti-corruption agency had alleged that the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office was allocated space within the SGF's premises without presidential approval and identified Nwabueze as its promoter.

The development subsequently attracted the attention of President Bola Tinubu, who ordered investigations into alleged fake agencies and directed a review of government entities operating within the federal administration.

The Presidency has maintained that the ICPC investigation remains ongoing and that recommendations will be considered after the relevant inquiries are concluded.

The controversy has therefore created competing claims over the status of the project office, with ICPC raising questions about its legitimacy while Nwabueze and some officials within the SGF's office insist that it is an established project office.

The dispute has also raised broader concerns about how government projects and offices are created, recognised, funded and allocated official facilities within the federal bureaucracy.

As investigations continue, attention is expected to focus on the documents establishing the project office, the authority under which it operates, its funding arrangements and the circumstances that led to its recognition within the SGF's office.

The outcome of the probe could determine whether the office is a legitimate government project operating under the SGF or an unauthorised entity that was allowed to function within government premises.