Fake Agency Scandal: Reps to Grill Accountant-General Over N1.32bn Budget Allocation Today

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the controversial establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) is set to question the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, today as its investigation enters a critical stage.

The committee, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, is probing how the PFIPC, which the Federal Government has described as a non-existent agency, allegedly secured office space within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja and received over N1.32bn in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

At the hearing, Ogunjimi is expected to explain how the agency obtained a government budget code, enabling it to appear in the national budget despite questions surrounding its legal status. Lawmakers are seeking to establish whether weaknesses in financial management or deliberate misconduct allowed the agency to access public funds.

The investigation has already featured 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, Tanimu Yakubu.

Their submissions highlighted apparent administrative gaps that enabled the PFIPC to process official documentation and function within the federal bureaucracy despite lacking legal recognition.

The probe gained further attention following the arrest of Adeyemi Adeniyi, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC. He was arrested after reportedly claiming he paid N400m through an intermediary to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to secure his appointment.

Both the Presidency and Gbajabiamila have denied the allegation, describing Adeniyi as an impostor and distancing themselves from the agency.

The committee is also expected to hear from other top government officials, including Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of Finance Taiwo Oyedele, and Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi.

Lawmakers said the investigation aims to uncover how the agency gained access to government structures and public funds while strengthening accountability within public institutions.