The House of Representatives has summoned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, to explain how the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) acquired office space at the Federal Secretariat.
The resolution was reached on Monday at a public hearing in Abuja by the House Ad hoc Committee to Investigate the Circumstances Surrounding the Existence and Operations of PFIPC and its Inclusion in the Budget Framework.
The committee also invited the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr Shamseldeen Ogunjimi; the Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu; and other relevant officials.
According to the committee, the invited officials are expected to appear before it on Tuesday, July 21, to explain the circumstances surrounding the controversial council.
The PFIPC, headed by Adeyemi Adeniyi, was reportedly operating from the Federal Secretariat, maintained accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and was included in the 2026 national budget without due process.
The committee’s decision followed submissions by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
Presenting her submission, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, told the panel that the office space occupied by the PFIPC had originally been allocated to the OHCSF.
She said the PFIPC had approached her office for approval of its organisational structure, but the request was declined due to inadequate documentation.
Walson-Jack added that the OHCSF neither deployed any personnel to the council nor approved office space for its operations.
Also testifying before the committee, the CBN Director of Banking Services, Hamisu Abdullahi, confirmed that the PFIPC had two accounts with the apex bank.
He explained that on July 30, 2025, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation wrote to the CBN authorising the opening of the accounts.
Abdullahi stated that it is standard procedure for any government agency seeking to open, close or change signatories to a bank account to first obtain clearance from the Office of the Accountant-General before the CBN processes the request.
He, however, disclosed that although the accounts were opened, no authorised signatories were presented for capture, and the accounts were never operated.
Responding to the submissions, Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), said the panel was determined to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the establishment and operations of the PFIPC.
Boluwatife Enome
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