Fresh Documents Raise Questions Over PFIPC as Senate Set to Address N1.3bn Budget Controversy

Admin 2 weeks ago

Fresh official documents have linked the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) to correspondence involving the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), as the Senate is expected to deliberate on Tuesday over the N1.3 billion budget allocation to the agency.

The documents indicate that the OSGF received and processed a request from Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as Director-General of the PFIPC, seeking office accommodation from recovered Federal Government properties through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The correspondence was reportedly acknowledged and forwarded by the OSGF in November 2024.

The development comes despite the Presidency’s insistence that the PFIPC is a fictitious organisation.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga had stated that Adeyemi allegedly forged official documents, including an appointment letter purportedly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, and falsely represented himself as head of the council.

The Federal Government has since arraigned Adeyemi on charges bordering on forgery, impersonation and operating a fictitious government agency.

Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to consider the controversy surrounding the N1.3 billion allocation to the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The budgetary provision has triggered public concern over the processes through which the agency secured official recognition, office accommodation and budgetary allocation despite claims that it did not legally exist.

The controversy has also prompted calls from civil society organisations and public finance experts for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the agency’s activities, its inclusion in the federal budget and the role of relevant government institutions.

They urged authorities to strengthen oversight mechanisms and ensure accountability in the management of public resources.