A fresh controversy appears to be confronting the administration of President Bola Tinubu following the uproar surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, an agency the Presidency insists was never established.
The development comes as Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims he was appointed to head the council, declared his readiness to present himself alongside all documents in his possession to the Department of State Services, DSS, or the Nigeria Police Force to assist ongoing investigations into the matter.
Adeyemi also questioned how the agency found its way into the national budget despite the Presidency maintaining that it never existed.
Speaking during a conversation with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi claimed he was in police custody when the national budget was being prepared and therefore could not have taken part in the budget defence process.
The latest development follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive on Tuesday instructing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the PFIPC and every issue connected to it.
The President also ordered that the investigation be completed within 30 days and that a detailed report be submitted to him.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the directive in a statement, explaining that it followed the discovery of the alleged PFIPC, which the Presidency said was never created by the Federal Government and had no legal backing through any law, presidential approval, executive instrument or any other lawful government process.
“One Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew presented himself as the Director-General of the so-called PFIPC and falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee.
“Among the issues to be investigated by the ICPC are the forged appointment letters and other official government documents; the use of a false claim of presidential appointment to seek or obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation; and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents.
“President Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate not only the conduct of the principal individual and other collaborators involved but also the wider circumstances that may have enabled a fictitious body and a false claim of presidential appointment to acquire an appearance of official legitimacy.
“The investigation is to examine the provenance and use of false official documents; the processes through which official recognition or diplomatic support may have been sought or obtained; the opening and operation of any related bank accounts; the source and movement of any funds involved; and the role of any public officer, private individual, financial institution, intermediary or other person or entity that may have facilitated, enabled or participated in the alleged scheme.
“The President further directed the Commission to identify any weaknesses in government and institutional procedures that may have been exploited and to recommend immediate measures to prevent the recurrence of similar abuses.
“All ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government have been directed to provide the ICPC, upon lawful request, with all relevant information, records and assistance required for the expeditious completion of the investigation.
“President Tinubu stated that the integrity of the Presidency and the institutions of the Federal Government must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and the exploitation of weaknesses in the public service.
“The President directed that all persons found culpable be treated strictly in accordance with applicable law,” the statement read.
ZINGTIE recalls that the controversy centres on a dispute involving the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who insists he was appointed as the council’s head.
It will be recalled that Gbajabiamila had earlier issued a disclaimer warning diplomatic missions, financial institutions, development partners and members of the public against dealing with Adeyemi, describing him as an impostor and insisting that no agency known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council exists under the Tinubu administration.
The disclaimer also stated that no appointment had been made into such an office and urged the public to disregard any claims suggesting otherwise.
Adeyemi, who identifies himself as the Director-General of the council, is currently facing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on allegations bordering on conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
The Federal Government listed the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside 10 others, as prosecution witnesses in the matter.
Speaking during a video call with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, on Tuesday, Adeyemi reiterated that he is prepared to present himself and every document in his possession to the Department of State Services or the Nigeria Police Force to assist investigators handling the controversy surrounding the agency.
He stated that he would soon report to either the DSS or the police with all relevant documents available to him for proper verification.
According to him, the documents should be authenticated to enable investigators determine how the agency came into existence and identify those responsible.
“I’m willing and ready to help security agencies or panel set by the Mr President to unravel the truth. In fact, any moment from now, I will go to DSS or police to submit all the document I have to help them investigate and look into this matter.
“You will see any moment from now I will go. I’ll go to any DSS to submit my document, all I have. They should authenticate it. They should verify it. Then they should unravel the truth,” he said.
Adeyemi also queried how the agency appeared in the national budget despite repeated claims by the Presidency that it never existed.
He alleged that he remained in police detention while the budget was being prepared and therefore could not have participated in the budget defence exercise.
According to him, he was invited by the Nigeria Police Force on October 27 following a petition allegedly submitted by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, concerning the activities of the PFIPC.
He claimed he spent 23 days in detention, from October 27 until November 19, before being arraigned in court on November 27.
According to him, by the time he regained his freedom, the office previously occupied by the agency had already been reassigned to another government official, and he has not returned there since his arrest.
Adeyemi maintained that the inclusion of the PFIPC in the national budget remains difficult to explain, insisting that neither he nor anyone else defended the agency’s budget before the National Assembly.
He questioned how lawmakers and other relevant authorities failed to identify what the Presidency now describes as a non-existent agency before the budget was approved and eventually signed into law.
Adeyemi said: “You see this whole thing is confusing, as in very confusing. When the presidency, through the chief of staff, said the agency does not exist, I wondered.
“How come the agency found its way to the national budget, that both the Senate, where we have so many experienced senators, 360 members of representatives, would detect that this is a fake agency, then transmitted to the president to sign.
“How come the chief of staff is not aware that the said agency is inside the budget? So that’s why I’m confused, and that gave me the audacity to come out to do a rebuttal of his disclaimer, like two weeks ago.
“I’m not the one. During the preparation for budget, I was invited by the Nigerian Police Force. I was invited to come and respond to a petition from the Chief of Staff to the President, questioning my activity of the said agency.
“I honored the invitation. So they asked me so many questions. How did the agency come to force? I gave them the appointment letter. Then they asked me who helped you to get the appointment letter. I gave them the number, the name, everything.
“I was in detention for good 23 days. I was arrested or invited on 27th of October and released on 19th of November.
“I was in detention during the period for the preparation of budget.
“I did not defend the budget, and nobody went for the defence. That’s why I am confused that how come the budget that nobody defended it still finds its way into the national budget.
“By the time I came out from the detention, on 19 November, I was charged to court on 27th of November, and the said office space has been reallocated to another government officials. So I’ve not been going to office since that 27th of October. So that’s why I’m confused: how does the agency find its way to the national budget?
“I wouldn’t say he (Gbajabiamila) is lying, and I wouldn’t say he’s saying the truth. That’s why I requested, if you see from my press conference, I said I plead with Mr President to set up an investigative panel to look into this whole issue and unravel the truth, so we know who are involved.”
Media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mr Paul Ibe, has called on President Tinubu to suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside every other individual allegedly connected to the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC.
Ibe made the call on Tuesday in a post on X while reacting to President Tinubu’s directive ordering the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to investigate the activities of the alleged council and its purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew.
According to him, it was inappropriate for the President to order an investigation without first directing key individuals, including Gbajabiamila, to step aside pending the outcome of the probe.
“It is flagrantly wrong for President Bola Tinubu to order the ICPC to investigate the so-called ‘fake’ agency, Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) and its ‘phantom’ Director General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew without asking the key suspects, including his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to go on suspension pending the conclusion of the investigation,” Ibe wrote.
He argued that allowing those allegedly linked to the matter to remain in office throughout the investigation could compromise the credibility of the process.
“Not suspending all those involved in the #GbajaGate scandal is akin to them being a judge in their own case. Their continued stay in office while the investigation is going on gives them the opportunity to interfere with the investigation process,” he added.
A human rights lawyer, Maximus Ugwuoke, has backed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to investigate the controversy surrounding the PFIPC, insisting that the exercise must uncover the truth and expose any institutional lapses connected to the scandal.
Ugwuoke, who spoke with ZINGTIE on Tuesday, described the matter as sensitive and said it should be resolved through an independent and thorough investigation rather than public speculation.
He stated that the President’s decision directing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to conclude its investigation within 30 days was appropriate.
According to him, since the Presidency has insisted that the PFIPC never existed and that no valid appointment was made under that name, investigators should establish how the alleged agency operated, whether public officials aided its activities, and whether any criminal offences were committed.
The lawyer also defended the President’s decision not to ask the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to step aside pending the outcome of the investigation.
Ugwuoke, however, stressed that if the investigation reveals misconduct or negligence on the part of any public official, appropriate legal and disciplinary actions should be taken regardless of the person’s position.
He said: “The issue surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) is a very delicate one. It is another reminder that allegations involving public institutions must be approached with caution and investigated thoroughly rather than decided in the court of public opinion.
“The President’s directive to the ICPC to investigate the matter within 30 days is an appropriate step. Allegations of this nature require an independent fact-finding process.
“Since the Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC is a non-existent body and that no valid appointment was made under that name, the investigation should, if not influenced, establish how the purported body operated, whether any public officers facilitated its activities, and whether any criminal offences were committed.
“That is the only way to ensure that justice is based on evidence rather than speculation.
“On the decision not to ask the Chief of Staff to step aside, our legal system is founded on the principle of the presumption of innocence.
“Until credible evidence establishes personal wrongdoing, or the investigation reveals facts warranting administrative action, the President is legally entitled to await the outcome of the investigation.
“If, however, the investigation uncovers misconduct or negligence on the part of any public officer, appropriate legal and disciplinary measures should follow, irrespective of the office the person occupies. That is how it should be in a clime society.
“Besides, don’t forget that the Chief of Staff office which Gbajabiamila is occupying is a sensitive office that is given to trusted allies. It won’t be that easy for the president to outrightly suspend or take disciplinary action against the person of the chief of staff without credible facts from an independent source.
“I must also say, however, that in sane clime there is a moral obligation for an office holder that is being investigated to step aside so that he would not use his position to influence the investigation.
“It’s left for Gbajabiamila to toe moral obligation or remain in office as long it is not a legal obligation, while the investigation is being carried out.
“The wider implication of this controversy is institutional. If a body that the government says has no legal existence was nevertheless able to interact with government institutions or present itself as an official entity, it raises serious concerns about internal verification procedures, document authentication, and inter-agency coordination.
“These are issues that go beyond the conduct of any single individual and speak to the integrity of our public institutions.
“Ultimately, the investigation should not only determine whether anyone is criminally or administratively liable, but should also identify any systemic weaknesses and recommend reforms that will prevent similar occurrences in the future.
“Public confidence in government depends not only on holding individuals accountable where necessary, but also on strengthening the institutions that are meant to safeguard transparency and the rule of law.”
Also speaking, political analyst and communication expert at Peaceland University, Enugu, Nduka Odo, argued that the controversy surrounding the PFIPC suggests Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi could not have acted alone.
Speaking in an interview with ZINGTIE on Tuesday, Odo said the circumstances surrounding the council indicate that influential individuals within government must have facilitated its operations.
According to him, Adeyemi could not have appointed himself, secured office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat, recruited staff and ensured the council’s budget was included in the federal appropriation process without support from powerful officials capable of bypassing established bureaucratic procedures.
He stated that although allegations have focused on the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, because Adeyemi publicly mentioned his name, only an independent investigation can determine who, if anyone, played a role.
Odo further described the controversy as another reflection of broader concerns surrounding corruption and public financial management in the country.
According to him, the unfolding developments have strengthened public doubts about the government’s capacity to fight corruption effectively and protect public funds.
Odo said: “Right now, one thing is clear: Mr. Adeyemi could not have acted all by himself. He couldn’t have appointed himself, approved his own office at federal secretariat, approved the council’s recruitment, and entered its budget into the Federal Appropriation.
“He had people he worked with. And those are people who possess the capacity to override bureaucracies.
“You can’t say who he worked with, whether it’s the chief of staff, Gbajabiamila or anyone else. Whoever it’s must be someone powerful enough to make ways.
“Everyone is talking about Gbajabiamila because Mr. Adeyemi himself mentioned his name. Since we were not there when it all started, we have no option but to believe the man whose neck is on the noose for running a documented presidential council. If the named accomplice feels innocent of the allegation, the court is there.
“As an analyst, it’s total disrespect to the common intelligence of the entire nation for them to say that Mr. Adeyemi is operating a fake agency. An agency cannot be considered fake when it has assigned office at the federal secretariat.
“It hosts events in the federal capital, its budget is captured and approved on the National Budget prepared by the presidency, examined by the National Assembly, and signed into law by the president. The said Adeyemi has been seen everywhere with prominent members of the government. That can’t be fake.
“What I believe is that the Presidential Commission was set up for insidious acts like money laundering and foreign image laundering. However, disagreement must have arisen. That is why it’s an issue today.
“This serves as a tip of the icebergs in the rate of corruption going on. Haven’t you wondered why subsidy was removed shooting fuel price to N1300 per litre from N250 yet, the government keeps borrowing?
“Didn’t you hear about the N8 trillion that the IMF says the government spends but not captured in the budget?
“Everyone who considers precedence in making future decisions knew that this government would lack the capacity to fight corruption and embezzlement of public funds.”
Similarly, the President of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, Barr Olu Omotayo, said the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC, has raised serious concerns about the credibility of Nigeria’s public institutions and called for a comprehensive investigation.
Speaking with ZINGTIE on Tuesday, Omotayo accused politicians of frequently shielding members of their political circle from accountability, saying such actions weaken democratic governance.
He, however, cautioned against drawing conclusions before the investigation ordered by President Bola Tinubu is concluded.
According to him, attention should now be focused on the investigation being conducted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, adding that the credibility of the process will depend on how transparent and sincere the Presidency is in handling its outcome.
Omotayo noted that the controversy has already affected the image of the government, particularly because the alleged agency’s budget was reportedly presented to and approved by the National Assembly.
He said if the government insists the PFIPC never existed, serious questions must be asked about the credibility of Nigeria’s budgeting and legislative processes.
The rights advocate questioned how the National Assembly approved funding for an agency the Presidency now says does not exist.
He added that the legislature should be at the forefront of demanding a comprehensive investigation into the controversy instead of remaining silent.
He said: “The problem with our democracy is that politicians like covering themselves. They believe that if someone does wrong and once he’s in their party they must cover that person.
“The office of the chief of staff is not recognized under the Constitution. He serves at the pleasure of the president. The historical background of that office shows it’s alien to our law.
“We cannot jump to conclusion now. Lets see what the ICPC will do. We cannot until the investigation comes out. Let’s see how sincere the Presidency will be with the outcome of the investigation.
“Definitely it affects the image of the government. The budget for the agency was before the senate and it was approved. If you say it’s a fake agency, then it makes mockery of our institutions.
“Why would the senate make such a mistake? They should be the one at the forefront asking for investigation in this matter.
“I’m surprised that the National Assembly hasn’t issued any statements or ordered investigation demanding appropriate agency to investigate.”
Source: DAILY POST
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