Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has raised fresh questions over the alleged operation of a government-linked organisation that reportedly developed a network of coordinators across Nigeria and representatives abroad.
Dalung said the emerging details suggest that the controversy goes beyond the alleged creation of a fictitious government agency and raises questions about how such an organisation could operate close to the centre of government.
He said the organisation, identified as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, reportedly had coordinators in about 20 states, as well as representatives outside Nigeria, including China and the United States.
According to Dalung, the reported structure raises questions about the people behind the appointments and how the organisation gained recognition among individuals who may have believed it was a legitimate government body.
“Who appointed these coordinators? Who communicated those appointments? Who interacted with them as representatives of the organisation?” Dalung asked.
He also questioned who gave the representatives access to government offices, who handled their correspondence and who was aware of their activities.
The former minister said the investigation should not end with the alleged promoter or the suspension of government officials linked to the matter.
“These actions may be necessary, but they should only be the beginning,” he said.
Dalung said the wider focus should be on understanding the system that allegedly allowed the organisation to establish a broad structure and operate with the appearance of government authority.
He further asked whether other people inside and outside government had dealings with the organisation without knowing that its authorisation was allegedly in question.
“Who was running the real government while the fake one was operating?” he asked.
Dalung also urged investigators to trace the network and establish whether similar structures exist elsewhere.
“If these allegations are established, this is no longer just a story about a ‘fake agency,’” he said.
“It is a story about how easily the appearance of government authority can allegedly be created within the Nigerian state.”
The allegations remain subject to investigation, and the claims should be independently verified by the relevant authorities before they are treated as established facts.