By Ado Oyeyemi
The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council is expected to question the Accountant General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, today as its investigation into the agency enters its third week.
The committee, chaired by the member representing Kanke, Kanam and Pankshin Federal Constituency of Plateau State, Yusuf Gagdi, is examining how an organisation the Federal Government insists does not legally exist allegedly secured office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja and was allocated over N1.32bn in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The probe has attracted widespread public attention amid concerns over how the council reportedly operated within government institutions despite lacking legal recognition, raising questions about public financial management and institutional oversight.
At the hearing, Ogunjimi is expected to explain the process through which the council obtained a government budget code, enabling it to be listed in the national budget despite doubts surrounding its legal status.
Lawmakers are also seeking clarification on the financial and administrative procedures that led to the agency’s inclusion in the Federal Government’s expenditure framework.
Since the commencement of the investigation, the committee has received testimonies from several senior government officials, with evidence pointing to apparent administrative lapses that allegedly allowed the organisation to function as though it had official government approval.
Those who have already appeared before the panel include the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson Jack, the Director of Banking Services at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abdullahi Hamisu, and the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu.
The witnesses provided explanations on how the council reportedly navigated government procedures, obtained official documentation and became integrated into parts of the federal administrative system despite concerns over its legitimacy.
The investigation gathered further momentum following the arrest of Adeyemi Adeniyi, who allegedly presented himself as the Director General of the council.
Police arrested Adeniyi after he allegedly claimed to have paid N400m through an intermediary to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to facilitate his appointment as head of the organisation.
The allegation generated widespread public interest because of its implications for transparency and accountability in public service.
However, both the Presidency and Gbajabiamila have denied any association with Adeniyi or the claims attributed to him, describing him as an impostor and dismissing the allegations as false.
Government officials have maintained that the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council is not a legally recognised federal agency, intensifying concerns over how it allegedly secured office space, processed official documentation and obtained budgetary allocations.
The committee is expected to determine whether the development resulted from administrative failures, institutional negligence or deliberate misconduct by public officials.
Several top government officials are also scheduled to appear before the panel, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
Lawmakers said the testimonies would help establish whether due process was followed during the emergence of the council and whether any public officials played roles in facilitating its activities.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a transparent and impartial investigation, stressing that anyone found culpable would be held accountable in accordance with the law.
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It added that the exercise is aimed at strengthening public institutions, protecting public funds and restoring confidence in government systems by exposing weaknesses that allowed the controversy to arise.
