Jelili Gbadamosi
The House of Representatives has set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the alleged creation and funding of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), following growing controversy surrounding the purported agency.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by a lawmaker representing Plateau State, Yusuf Gagdi, during plenary.
Allegations and counter-allegations over the existence and funding of the PFIPC have dominated public discourse, prompting lawmakers to demand a thorough investigation into the matter.
Presenting the motion, Gagdi expressed concern over reports that more than N1.3 billion was allocated to the unrecognised agency in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The House described the development as a serious threat to the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s budget process, insisting that anyone found culpable should be brought to justice.
The ad hoc committee has been mandated to interface with the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the Director-General of the Budget Office, and other relevant government officials to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the agency’s alleged creation and funding.
Lawmakers also directed the committee to receive briefings from relevant security and anti-corruption agencies while ensuring that its investigation does not interfere with any ongoing litigation.
The controversy centres on Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims he was lawfully appointed as the Director-General of the PFIPC despite the Presidency’s insistence that no such agency exists.
Adeyemi alleged that the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, received N400 million through a proxy and later demanded an additional N200 million to facilitate his appointment.
He further maintained that the PFIPC is a legitimate government agency, citing its inclusion in the 2026 budget, and called on President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent panel to investigate the matter, saying he is prepared to defend his claims in court.
The Presidency, however, dismissed the allegations, with the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, describing Adeyemi as an impostor and insisting that no such government agency exists.
