ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct an urgent investigation into the activities of a so-called “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC), which officials have described as entirely fictitious and without any legal basis.
The President has ordered that the investigation be concluded and a comprehensive report submitted to his office within 30 days.
This was disclosed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday.
The directive follows the discovery of the fraudulent body, which was never established by the Federal Government and has no foundation in any law, presidential instrument, executive approval, or other lawful act of Government, according to a statement from the Presidency.
False Appointment Claims
One Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew has been identified as presenting himself as the Director-General of the purported PFIPC, falsely claiming to be a presidential appointee. Investigators are examining how Mr Matthew and his collaborators managed to create the appearance of official legitimacy around the non-existent body.
Among the issues to be scrutinised by the ICPC are forged appointment letters and other official government documents; the use of false claims of presidential appointment to seek or obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation; and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documentation.
Wider Circumstances Under Scrutiny
President Tinubu has directed the anti-corruption agency to investigate not only the conduct of the principal individual and other collaborators but also the wider circumstances that may have enabled a fictitious body and a false claim of presidential appointment to acquire an appearance of official legitimacy.
The investigation will examine the provenance and use of false official documents; the processes through which official recognition or diplomatic support may have been sought or obtained; the opening and operation of any related bank accounts; the source and movement of any funds involved; and the role of any public officer, private individual, financial institution, intermediary or other person or entity that may have facilitated, enabled or participated in the alleged scheme.
Institutional Weaknesses to be Addressed
The President further directed the Commission to identify any weaknesses in government and institutional procedures that may have been exploited and to recommend immediate measures to prevent the recurrence of similar abuses.
All ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government have been directed to provide the ICPC, upon lawful request, with all relevant information, records and assistance required for the expeditious completion of the investigation.
Presidency Vows to Protect Integrity
President Tinubu stated that the integrity of the Presidency and the institutions of the Federal Government must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and the exploitation of weaknesses in the public service.
The President directed that all persons found culpable be treated strictly in accordance with applicable law, signalling a zero-tolerance approach to what officials have described as a brazen attempt to defraud and misrepresent the Federal Government.
The development comes as the administration continues its broader anti-corruption drive, with the ICPC now under pressure to deliver a thorough investigation and concrete recommendations within the 30-day timeframe.
