By Terna Chikpa
Taraba State Coordinator of the newly discovered alleged fake agency, Made-in-Nigeria Project, Hon. Justin Aondoasee Tyopuusu, has responded to public enquiries regarding his appointment as the state coordinator of the agency.
In his response on Sunday, Tyopuusu said, “I didn’t appoint myself,” adding that enquiries seeking clarification on the status, establishment, mandate or administrative history of the Made-in-Nigeria Project Office should be directed to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Abuja.
Tyopuusu explained that the OSGF was the appropriate authority to provide authoritative clarification on the matter.
He said, “I have taken note of enquiries from friends and associates, journalists and activists regarding how I came to be appointed as the Taraba State Coordinator of the Made-in-Nigeria Project, following recent comments by the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission concerning the status of the project office.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state that I did not establish, create or independently constitute the Made-in-Nigeria Project Office, nor did I personally seek to appoint myself as its State Coordinator.
“Prior to my appointment, I had no personal involvement or knowledge regarding the establishment, administration or previous activities of any office operating under the Made-in-Nigeria Project designation. My understanding of the office and my involvement with it commenced when I was formally nominated and appointed as the Taraba State Coordinator following official correspondence from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Abuja, requesting the Governor of Taraba State to nominate a State Coordinator for the project.
“In response to that correspondence, His Excellency, Dr. Agbu Kefas, Governor of Taraba State, approved my nomination and appointment as the State Coordinator. The formal communication from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the State, dated January 10, 2026, expressly referenced the OSGF’s letter of January 9, 2026, and communicated the Governor’s approval of my appointment.
“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.
“As a State Coordinator, my responsibility is limited to the mandate and responsibilities assigned to me within the framework under which I was appointed. 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.
“I believe such questions should be properly directed to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in Abuja, being the national office from which the correspondence requesting the nomination of State Coordinators originated.
“I therefore urge anyone seeking clarification on the status, establishment, mandate or administrative history of the Made-in-Nigeria Project Office to direct such enquiries to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Abuja, which is the appropriate authority to provide authoritative clarification on those matters,” Tyopuusu said.