Reps panel summons NSA over ‘phantom’ council

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee probing the activities of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) yesterday invited the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, to explain actions they took after uncovering the phantom council. This is as the committee rejected the representative of the […]

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee probing the activities of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) yesterday invited the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, to explain actions they took after uncovering the phantom council.

This is as the committee rejected the representative of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, and expressed disappointment over the failure of some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to honour its invitations.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had, upon the inauguration of the committee on Monday, told the panel it received authorisation from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) to open two domiciliary accounts for the council.

The probe was initiated following allegations by the purported Director General of the council, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, that he paid N400 million to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, by proxy to secure the appointment.

Adeyemi also claimed that the Chief of Staff allegedly demanded 48 per cent from the agency’s N27.3 billion take-off grant, but Gbajabiamila debunked the allegations and filed a N15bn defamation suit.

The committee is investigating the inclusion of over N1.3 billion allocation of the ‘fictitious’ council in the 2026 budget as well as how Adeyemi got approvals for the employment of 300 staff members and an office space at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Foreign, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, told the panel that the ministry had no official relationship with the PFIPC and never recognised it as a government agency.

He said Adeyemi approached the ministry on three occasions — June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025 and June 5, 2026 — seeking the ministry’s endorsement and collaboration to host a World Investment Summit in Nigeria. According to him, the ministry declined the requests after identifying inconsistencies in the documents and correspondence submitted by the alleged council.

“The ministry has never had any official interaction or engagement with the PFIPC or its alleged Director-General. We declined the requests because of discrepancies observed in the documents presented to us,” the permanent secretary said.

He said the ministry subsequently wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on October 16, 2025, requesting clarification on the status of Adeyemi and the PFIPC.

Ahmed said the NSA, in a response dated November 26, 2025, informed the ministry that enquiries made with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President showed that neither Adeyemi nor the PFIPC was known to the federal government.

He added that the ministry never participated in any diplomatic, bilateral or multilateral engagement organised by the council and that no memorandum of understanding or agreement with any foreign government was signed through it.

The permanent secretary also told lawmakers that the alleged council never facilitated any foreign investor, partner or delegation through the ministry.

The committee, however, questioned why the ministry did not formally notify Adeyemi after receiving confirmation from the NSA that the council was unknown to the federal government.

Responding, Ahmed said the ministry did not communicate directly with him after receiving the security report.

Following the presentation, the committee summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser to appear before it on Thursday.

The committee chairman, Rep. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (APC, Plateau), said the NSA would be required to explain the actions taken after confirming that the PFIPC was not recognised by the federal government.

“If they confirmed it was an illegal agency, they should tell Nigerians what they did thereafter,” he stated.

He also questioned how the alleged council was able to carry out diplomatic engagements that ordinarily fall within the mandate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, describing the development as a serious institutional failure.

Gagdi said the committee would also invite the Presidential Economic Advisory Council after observing that the letterhead used by Adeyemi identified him as Director-General of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.

 

Reps reject finance minister’s representative

The committee rejected the finance minister’s representative, a deputy director at the ministry, and insisted that Oyedele must personally appear before the panel with requested documents.

The panel said it was disappointed the minister was absent despite an earlier invitation requiring his appearance and submission of documents relevant to the investigation.

Oyedele was initially scheduled to appear before the committee on Monday, but in a correspondence to the panel, he informed lawmakers that he was attending a session at the Senate. The committee subsequently rescheduled his appearance to Tuesday, but the minister again failed to appear.

Gagdi said the deputy director was not competent to defend the ministry in such a sensitive investigation because he came without the necessary documents.

“The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy was invited to this inaugural and opening hearing. He acknowledged the invitation, and in the letter referenced, there are documents we asked the Ministry of Finance to bring before us.

“You are not here with any document, and you said you have the mandate of the Honourable Minister to represent the ministry. We are not inviting the Prime Minister; we are inviting the Honourable Minister. If he wants, he can come with his commissioners and secretaries,” Gagdi said.

The lawmaker questioned the reason given by the ministry for Oyedele’s absence, asking whether the Senate engagement was still ongoing and whether it was sufficient justification for failing to honour the House’s invitation.

“Between the central ground of Nigeria and the invitation of the House of Representatives, which one should be honoured by your ministry? The National Assembly is inviting you. Nigerians are asking you to come and account for issues surrounding taxpayers’ money, and the Ministry of Finance is strategic in this engagement,” he said.

The committee also cited Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which empower the National Assembly to summon persons and demand information in the course of investigations.

Gagdi said invitations issued by committees of the National Assembly are not discretionary but a constitutional obligation that must be respected by government institutions.

In a formal statement after the development, the committee expressed “profound disappointment” over what it described as the failure of some MDAs to honour its invitation.

The committee said the action amounted to a disregard for the constitutional oversight powers of the House of Representatives.

“The invitation issued by a duly constituted committee of the House of Representatives is not a matter of discretion. It is issued pursuant to the constitutional powers vested in the National Assembly under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended,” Gagdi said.

He issued a final notice to all invited MDAs to appear before the committee on Thursday with all requested documents and any additional materials that may assist the investigation.

“We will stay here on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or until we finish this assignment. All relevant offices and documents requested by the committee must be provided,” he said.

The committee warned that any agency that failed to appear without lawful justification would leave it with no option but to invoke its constitutional and statutory powers to compel compliance.

Gagdi said the investigation was not targeted at any individual or institution but aimed at establishing facts, protecting public administration, safeguarding the rule of law and ensuring accountability.