The investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) gathered momentum on Monday after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) questioned the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. At the same time, the House of Representatives summoned several key government agencies. Lawmakers want the agencies to explain how the council secured official recognition and later appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The committee is also investigating how the council allegedly secured office space, official documents, bank accounts and a budgetary allocation. The probe follows repeated claims by government officials that the council never had legal backing.
House broadens investigation
To widen the probe, the House ad hoc committee invited the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Federal Character Commission and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
The committee said the agencies must explain their roles in the activities of the controversial council. Lawmakers also asked officials to clarify how the body passed through several government processes despite lacking legal backing.
Head of Civil Service admits verification lapse
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, admitted that her office failed to properly verify documents submitted by PFIPC officials before approving the agency’s staff establishment.
Her admission came after lawmakers questioned how an organisation without legal status obtained official documents and administrative approvals from government institutions.
CBN says accounts remained inactive
Officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) told the committee that the PFIPC opened domiciliary accounts in dollars and pounds sterling. However, they said nobody funded the accounts and no financial transaction took place.
The apex bank also said it acted only on mandates from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. It added that it did not authorise any payment into the accounts.
ICPC seeks more time
The ICPC told lawmakers it had already launched an investigation following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to probe the PFIPC controversy.
ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, requested additional time to conclude the investigation. He assured the committee that the commission would submit its findings after completing its work. Lawmakers fixed July 22 or 23 for the presentation of the report.
Gbajabiamila honours ICPC invitation
Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila honoured the commission’s invitation and appeared before investigators at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja.
The invitation followed allegations by self-acclaimed PFIPC Director-General, Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi. He claimed he paid N400 million to secure his appointment. He also alleged that the Chief of Staff demanded 48 per cent of the agency’s proposed take-off grant.
Gbajabiamila has denied the allegations and filed a N15 billion defamation suit against Adeniyi.
His lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, confirmed that the Chief of Staff cooperated fully with investigators before returning to his official duties.
Adeniyi maintains Budget Office handled proposal
The hearing also revisited claims Adeniyi made during an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
Adeniyi insisted that Gbajabiamila played no role in the agency’s reported budgetary allocation. Instead, he claimed he personally approached Budget Office officials to seek the council’s inclusion in the federal budget. According to him, the process ended after his arrest, making it surprising that the agency later appeared in the appropriation.
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