Reps to grill Accountant-General over alleged fake agency budget scandal
The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) is expected to question the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, today as lawmakers intensify their probe into the operations and funding of the disputed agency.
The committee, chaired by the lawmaker representing Kanke/Kanam/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 in Abuja and received more than ₦1.32 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The investigation has attracted nationwide attention amid concerns over possible weaknesses in public financial management and institutional oversight that allowed the agency to appear to function as a legitimate government establishment.
At today’s hearing, Ogunjimi is expected to explain how the PFIPC obtained a government budget code, enabling it to be captured in the national budget despite questions surrounding its legal status.
Lawmakers are seeking clarification on the budgetary and financial procedures that facilitated the agency’s inclusion in the Federal Government’s expenditure framework and whether established financial controls were circumvented.
Since the investigation commenced, the committee has heard testimonies from several senior government officials, including 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.
Their submissions highlighted administrative processes through which the PFIPC allegedly obtained official documentation and advanced through parts of the federal bureaucracy despite uncertainty over its legal standing.
The investigation gained further momentum following the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC.
Adeyemi allegedly claimed he paid ₦400 million through an intermediary to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to facilitate his appointment as head of the council.
The allegation generated widespread public scrutiny because of its implications for transparency and accountability within government institutions.
However, both the Presidency and Gbajabiamila have strongly denied any connection to Adeyemi or the claims attributed to him.
The Presidency described him as an impostor, while the Chief of Staff dismissed the allegations as false and maintained that neither he nor the Presidency had any involvement in the establishment or operation of the purported agency.
Government officials have consistently maintained that the PFIPC is not a legally recognised federal institution, raising further questions about how it allegedly secured office accommodation, processed official documentation and obtained budgetary provisions.
The committee is expected to determine whether administrative failures, institutional negligence or deliberate misconduct enabled the agency to operate within the federal system.
Several senior government officials are also scheduled to appear before the panel in the coming days, 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, Taiwo Oyedele; and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
The House committee has reiterated its commitment to conducting a transparent and non-partisan investigation, stressing that any individual found culpable will be held accountable in accordance with the law.
Lawmakers said the probe is aimed at strengthening public institutions, protecting public funds and restoring confidence in government systems by exposing any procedural failures that allowed the PFIPC controversy to emerge.
