Alleged Fake Office: Taraba Coordinator Defends Self, Refers Critics, Questions To OSGF

The Taraba State Coordinator of the alleged Made-in-Nigeria Project office, Hon. Justin Aondoasee Tyopuusu, has explained that his appointment followed an official request by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Abuja, to the Taraba State Government.

Hon. Tyopuusu, who spoke on Sunday against the backdrop of enquiries surrounding the project and his appointment, said he had no role in establishing the project office and did not appoint himself to the position.

He maintained that the circumstances surrounding the creation, mandate and administrative status of the national project office were beyond his authority, and urged those seeking clarification to approach the OSGF.

His clarification came amid public questions following recent comments by the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), regarding the status of the project office.

According to Tyopuusu, his involvement with the project began only after he was formally nominated and appointed as the Taraba State coordinator.

He explained that the OSGF, in a letter dated January 9, 2026, requested the Taraba State Government to nominate a coordinator for the project.

He said Governor Agbu Kefas, subsequently approved his nomination, with the Office of the Secretary to the Taraba State Government conveying the approval in a letter dated January 10, 2026.

“My appointment was therefore not the product of a personal initiative or an arrangement created by me. It was made by the appropriate authority in Taraba State pursuant to a request communicated to the State Government by the OSGF,” he said.

Hon. Tyopuusu further disclosed that he had no prior involvement in the establishment, administration or activities of any office operating under the Made-in-Nigeria Project designation before his appointment.

He said his mandate was restricted to carrying out the responsibilities assigned to him as the state coordinator, stressing that he lacked the authority to authenticate the legal or administrative status of the national office.

“As a State Coordinator, my responsibility is limited to the mandate and responsibilities assigned to me within the framework under which I was appointed,” he stated.

Hon. Tyopuusu therefore distanced himself from any controversy over the establishment or legitimacy of the project office, insisting that such matters should be addressed by the authority from which the request for state coordinators originated.

“I am therefore not the appropriate authority to determine, authenticate or pronounce conclusively on the legal or administrative status of the national project office, particularly where questions have now been raised publicly by a federal government agency,” he said.

He urged journalists, activists and other members of the public seeking information on the project to direct their enquiries to the OSGF in Abuja.

According to him, the OSGF is best placed to provide authoritative explanations on the project’s establishment, mandate, administrative history and the process through which state coordinators were appointed.