Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
ABUJA — The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has issued a stark warning to defaulting Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), declaring Thursday as their final opportunity to honour summons or face constitutional sanctions.
The committee, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, described the persistent absence of key government officials as “a serious affront” to the constitutional oversight powers of the House and an unacceptable disregard for parliamentary authority.
“It must be clearly understood that invitations issued by a duly constituted Committee of the House of Representatives are not matters of discretion,” the committee stated. “They are issued pursuant to the constitutional powers vested in the National Assembly under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution. Compliance is therefore a legal obligation, not an act of courtesy”.
The panel warned that any agency failing to appear without lawful justification “will leave the Committee with no alternative but to invoke every constitutional and statutory power available to the House of Representatives to compel compliance and ensure accountability”.
Foreign Affairs Ministry Reveals NSA Alert
The warning follows startling revelations during the ongoing probe. An official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Secretary Dunoma Umar Ahmed, told lawmakers that the ministry had reported the council and its self-acclaimed Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in October 2025 after detecting discrepancies in documents submitted by the organisation.
Ahmed disclosed that Adeyemi approached the ministry on three occasions—June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026—seeking collaboration and endorsement to host a World Investment Summit in Nigeria. The ministry declined all three requests.
According to Ahmed, the ministry wrote to the ONSA on October 16, 2025, seeking clarification on Adeyemi’s status. The ONSA responded on November 26, 2025, conveying that enquiries with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President established that “Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew is unknown to any office of the Federal Government”.
The committee has now summoned National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to explain what action his office took after confirming the council’s illegality.
CBN Reveals Dormant Accounts
Earlier testimonies revealed that the Central Bank of Nigeria opened two foreign currency accounts—one in US dollars and another in pounds sterling—for the council on July 30, 2025, following a directive from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. However, the accounts were never activated and recorded zero transactions.
CBN Director Hamisu Abdullahi told the committee that the council failed to submit authorised signatories and signature mandate cards required to operate the accounts.
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation also admitted it failed to adequately verify documents submitted by the council before issuing an authorised establishment of 314 personnel.
Presidency Disowns Council
The House is investigating how the PFIPC—which the Presidency has since disowned as an unestablished body—allegedly secured official recognition across government institutions and was allocated funds in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The controversy began after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, publicly disowned the PFIPC, stating it was never created by President Bola Tinubu or any law of the Federation.
The committee has summoned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Minister of Finance, Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office, Federal Character Commission, and National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to appear on Thursday.
