Morganable Politics/Governance
The probe follows the arrest of Adeyemi Adeniyi, who allegedly paraded himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC and is accused of facilitating the inclusion of the council in the 2026 federal budget despite its non-existence.
kaNo —
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is set to inaugurate an ad hoc committee today to investigate the controversial inclusion of the unestablished Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The inauguration and public hearing will take place at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, in line with Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empower the National Assembly to probe issues relating to public institutions and the management of government funds.
The committee, chaired by the lawmaker representing Kanke/Kanam/Pankshin Federal Constituency of Plateau State, Yusuf Gagdi, was constituted two weeks ago following a resolution of the House during plenary presided over by Abbas.
Its mandate is to unravel how a budgetary provision of about N1.32bn was allocated to the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), an agency that has no legal backing or formal establishment.
The probe follows the arrest of Adeyemi Adeniyi, who allegedly paraded himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC and is accused of facilitating the inclusion of the council in the 2026 federal budget despite its non-existence.
Both the Presidency and the Office of the Chief of Staff have since denied the allegation.
A copy of the committee’s invitation letter, signed by Gagdi and obtained by the media, indicated that several high-ranking government officials and stakeholders have been invited to appear before the panel.
Key Ministers To Appear Before Panel
Those expected at the hearing include the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Also listed are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Auditor-General for the Federation, and the Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
Other invitees include the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, and the Inspector-General of Police.
The notice further called on civil society organisations, professional bodies, development partners, and members of the public to submit memoranda relevant to the committee’s terms of reference.
According to the document, the panel is expected to determine how the PFIPC found its way into the national budget despite lacking legal status, and to trace the budgetary allocation from the executive proposal stage through legislative consideration to final approval.
However, even before the commencement of the hearing, the committee has come under criticism for failing to include Gbajabiamila and Adeniyi among the invited witnesses-two figures widely regarded as central to the controversy.
A member of the committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed concern that the omission could undermine the credibility of the exercise.
“From the notice, you will see that the two central figures are not invited. I mean Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi. There is an obvious attempt to exempt Gbajabiamila, and that is an attempt by the committee to clear him. From the notice of invitation, there is already a bias,” the lawmaker said.
Analyst Faults Gabajabiamila,Adeyemi Exclusion From Panel
“The committee is starting on the wrong footing. They should have invited the Chief of Staff to clear his name,” Ojo said.
“As important as the invited government officials are, they are not as important as Gbajabiamila. The man taken into custody mentioned the Chief of Staff, so why is he not part of those to answer questions from lawmakers?” he queried.
The House had set up the panel amid growing public outrage over alleged irregularities in the 2026 budget process, particularly the allocation of over N1bn to an agency the government itself has disowned.
Police Confirms Adeniyi’s Arrest
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of Adeniyi following a warrant issued by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
During the court sitting, the trial judge dismissed the explanation provided by Adeniyi’s lawyer, Genesis Francis, who claimed that his client stayed away from court due to fears for his safety and had written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu.
Unconvinced by the argument, Justice Umar ordered his arrest and fixed September 30 as the new date for his arraignment.
The case, which has already suffered multiple adjournments since it was first filed last November, is expected to play a key role in the unfolding investigation by the House committee.
As the panel begins its work, attention will be focused on whether it can deliver a transparent and credible probe capable of addressing growing public concerns over accountability and integrity in Nigeria’s budgeting process.
