KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The House of Representatives ad hoc committee probing the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council will question Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, on Monday.
- Lawmakers want Ogunjimi to explain how PFIPC, which the Federal Government calls non-existent, got a budget code and more than ₦1.32bn in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
- The probe deepened after police arrested Adeyemi Adeniyi, who claimed he paid ₦400m via an intermediary to Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, for appointment.
The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the controversial establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) is expected to question the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, on Monday (today) as the probe enters its third week.
CityNews reports that the committee is seeking explanations on how the organisation, which the Federal Government has described as non-existent, allegedly secured office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja and received more than N1.32bn in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The panel is chaired by the member representing Kanke/Kanam/Pankshin Federal Constituency of Plateau State, Yusuf Gagdi.
The investigation has attracted public attention following allegations that the PFIPC operated within government structures despite questions over its legal status.
Ogunjimi is expected to explain the processes through which the council obtained a government budget code, which allegedly enabled it to appear in the national budget.
His testimony is also expected to provide insight into the financial and administrative procedures that allowed the organisation to secure budgetary provisions despite the Federal Government’s position that it was not a legally established agency.
The committee is examining whether institutional failures, negligence or deliberate acts by public officials enabled the PFIPC to navigate the federal bureaucracy.
Since the investigation began, several senior government officials have appeared before the committee.
They include the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack; Director of Banking Services at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abdullahi Hamisu; and Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu.
Their testimonies focused on how the PFIPC allegedly obtained official documentation, office accommodation and other administrative recognition despite concerns over its legitimacy.
The panel is attempting to establish the sequence of events that enabled the organisation to operate as though it had formal approval from the Federal Government.
The probe gained further attention following the arrest of Adeyemi Adeniyi, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC.
Adeniyi was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force after reportedly claiming that he paid N400m through an intermediary to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to facilitate his appointment as head of the council.
The allegation generated controversy because of its potential implications for transparency and the integrity of appointment processes within government.
The Presidency and Gbajabiamila have, however, denied any connection with Adeniyi or his claims.
The Presidency described him as an impostor, while the Chief of Staff dismissed the allegation as false and maintained that neither he nor the Presidency played any role in the establishment or operations of the purported council.
Government officials who have appeared before the committee have maintained that the PFIPC is not a legally constituted federal agency.
That position has raised further questions over how the organisation allegedly obtained space within the Federal Secretariat, processed official documents and secured an appropriation in the federal budget.
The committee is consequently examining whether lapses in administrative procedures, poor institutional oversight or deliberate misconduct allowed the organisation to operate within government structures.
Several senior government officials are still expected to testify before the panel.
They include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele; and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
The committee expects their testimonies to help establish whether due process was followed at different stages of the PFIPC’s emergence and whether any public officials facilitated its activities.
The House panel has maintained that the investigation will be conducted transparently and without political bias.
Lawmakers said the probe was aimed at protecting public funds, strengthening government institutions and identifying weaknesses that may have allowed an organisation of questionable legal status to gain access to federal structures.
The committee also vowed that any individual found culpable of wrongdoing would be held accountable in accordance with the law.
