Private Business Claims Linked to Permanent Secretary John Chidiebere Ezeamama in Violation of Code of Conduct for Civil Servants – Secrets Reporters Nigeria

Secrets Reporters

SecretsReporters has reviewed public records concerning Dr. John Chidiebere Ezeamama, the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, alongside claims that he maintains interests in several private companies operating in energy, solar, healthcare and general ventures. The examination places these claims against the strict ethical framework that governs Nigeria’s most senior civil servants, at a moment when public trust in the stewardship of state resources remains under intense scrutiny.

Ezeamama assumed office as Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, in December 2025 following his swearing-in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Cabinet Affairs Office provides administrative and technical support to the Federal Executive Council, the Council of State and the Nigeria Police Council—bodies at the heart of national decision-making. At the time of appointment he was described as a 54-year-old civil servant from Imo State.

As a Permanent Secretary, Ezeamama occupies one of the highest ranks in the federal bureaucracy and is unambiguously a public officer under the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. The Code requires that a public officer shall not put himself in a position where personal interest conflicts with official duties. It further prohibits a full-time public officer from engaging or participating in the management or running of any private business, profession or trade, with the sole exception of farming. Asset declaration is mandatory. While courts have held that mere shareholding may be permissible if properly declared and does not create a conflict, active directorship or day-to-day management is generally regarded as prohibited. The Code of Conduct Bureau has repeatedly emphasised that serving as a director can constitute evidence of involvement in private business.

Claims circulating in connection with Ezeamama name five private entities: Avecrown Energy Consult Limited, O.N.E Solar (W.A) Limited, Ave Care Clinics & Pharmacy Limited, Pray and Plan Ventures Limited, and O N E Oil Global Limited. These names suggest activity spanning energy consultancy, solar power, healthcare delivery and oil-related ventures—sectors that frequently intersect with government policy, procurement and regulation.

Senior public officers are expected to maintain a clear separation between official responsibilities and private commercial interests. Any undisclosed or active involvement in private companies operating in regulated or government-adjacent sectors would raise legitimate questions under the conflict-of-interest provisions of the Code. Equally, the Code’s asset-declaration requirements exist to ensure that the accumulation of private wealth can be scrutinised against legitimate sources of income. In a country where millions live in poverty and public institutions face constant pressure over the management of scarce resources, the mere appearance of parallel private business interests by officials at the apex of the civil service fuels public concern.