Fresh questions have emerged over the processes surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), as a man identifying himself as its Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, called for an independent investigation into how the body was captured in the national budget despite the Presidency’s position that it never existed. Adeyemi made the remarks during an interview released on Tuesday, insisting that only a transparent inquiry could resolve the conflicting claims.
Focusing on issues of accountability, Adeyemi questioned how an agency now described by the Presidency as non-existent allegedly appeared in the approved national budget without being flagged during the legislative process. He said the circumstances, if established, raise concerns about administrative oversight and warrant a thorough examination by the relevant authorities.
According to Adeyemi, he was invited by the Nigeria Police Force on October 27 following a petition he said was submitted by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the activities of the PFIPC. He stated that investigators questioned him about the agency, his appointment letter and those he claimed facilitated his appointment, adding that he provided the requested information.
Adeyemi further claimed he remained in police detention for 23 days, from October 27 to November 19, before he was arraigned on November 27. He maintained that he was in custody during the period the national budget was being prepared and therefore did not participate in any budget defence process. He also alleged that by the time he regained his freedom, the office previously occupied by the agency had been reassigned to another government official.
The former official said these developments deepened his concerns over how the agency’s allocation reportedly found its way into the budget. He maintained that neither he nor anyone acting on behalf of the council presented its estimates before the National Assembly, making the reported inclusion of the agency in the appropriation process, according to him, difficult to explain.
While declining to accuse any individual of making false claims, Adeyemi said he was leaving it to investigators to establish the facts. He reiterated his appeal to President Bola Tinubu to constitute an independent panel to determine how the agency emerged, who authorised its activities and how it was allegedly reflected in the budget. He also pledged to hand over all documents in his possession to the police or the Department of State Services to assist any investigation.
Adeyemi also alleged that he survived an attack by gunmen near Zuma Rock, close to Madala, in September last year. His latest remarks come amid continuing public scrutiny over the controversy surrounding the PFIPC, with calls from different quarters for a comprehensive investigation to clarify the agency’s status and address the conflicting accounts surrounding its operations.
