Reps Inaugurate Ad Hoc Committee To Probe PFIPC

 

The House of Representatives has inaugurated a 12-member ad hoc committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the process through which it was included in the 2026 budget.

It will also probe the alleged allocation of ₦1.3 billion to what lawmakers described as an illegal government agency in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

Speaking at the inauguration, Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, said the investigation was not politically motivated but aimed at establishing the facts surrounding the allocation.

Represented by the House Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, the Speaker said the National Assembly has both the authority and the responsibility to conduct the probe in an open, fair and transparent manner.

The National Assembly has both the authority and the obligation to seek answers in an open, fair and transparent manner, he said.

Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, assured Nigerians that the panel would carry out a thorough and impartial investigation.

He, however, expressed concern over the absence of some key government officials whose presence the committee considers crucial to the inquiry.

The PFIPC saga follows allegations by the self-acclaimed ‘director-general’ of the disputed agency, Adeniyi Adeyemi, during a press conference that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency’s ₦27.3 billion take-off grant, allegedly receiving ₦400 million through a proxy while demanding an additional ₦200 million to facilitate presidential approvals.

Gbajabiamila, however, maintained in his statement on oath that he had no personal, official, or professional relationship with the defendant and denied demanding or receiving any money, abusing his office, or interfering with law enforcement agencies.

He also denied any involvement in the alleged death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom Adeyemi Matthew claimed acted as an intermediary, as well as allegations linking him to an alleged assassination attempt on the defendant or interference with investigations by security agencies.

Consequently, President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the matter.

Last week, Gbajabiamila filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over allegations that he demanded a 48 per cent kickback from a ₦27.3 billion take-off grant approved for a federal agency.

In the suit, the Chief of Staff is seeking ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages, ₦200 million as the cost of the action, and an order directing the defendant to publish a retraction and apology in five national newspapers and on all social media platforms where the alleged defamatory statements were published.

In court documents seen by Channels Television, the Chief of Staff denied ever meeting or communicating with Adeyemi or authorising anyone to demand or receive money on his behalf.

The claimant, through his legal team led by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.

Adeyemi was later arrested by the police in Osun State after a court issued a bench warrant for his arrest following his failure to appear for his scheduled arraignment.

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