‘Why Senate won’t interfere in probe of Adeyemi’s fake agency’

By Kingsley Okoye

The Nigerian Senate has said the executive should explain how the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) was included in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budget line.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Sen. Yemi Adaramodu, said this in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

Adaramodu also said the Senate will not intervene in the controversies over existence of the PFIPC with one Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi claiming to be its Director-General.

According to him, the controversy over the inclusion of the fake agency in the Appropriation Act should be sorted out by the executive where it emanated from.

He said the Senate would not probe PFIPC because it has not received any petition to intervene in the alleged fake agency headed by Adeyemi.

Responding to the position of the senate on the raging controversy, Adaramodu lawmakers would not interfere on the matter at the moment.

He admitted, as reported in the media, that the alleged fake agency had budget line in the 2026 Appropriation Act, saying that the controversy should be sorted out by the executive where it emanated from.

Adaramodu, however, said that that given the fact that the controversy had become a matter of litigation, the senate, in line with its rules, would not interfere in it.

“The allegations and counter-allegations over fake agency and fake director-general are all within the executive and should be sorted out by it.

“Specifically, it is between the office of the Chief of Staff and the alleged fake DG.

“The budget line being referred to was not created or inserted by the National Assembly and it is not the duty of the senate or the House of Representatives to carry out security checks on those supposedly appointed to head the various MDAs.

“If the alleged fake DG were to be one of the presidential appointees screened and confirmed by the senate, the controversy might have been perceived to be somewhat linked to us.

“However, if a petition is sent to the senate by any of the feuding parties or any concerned Nigerian on the existence or non-existence of the agency or the DG, it will be legislatively looked into,” he said.

Recall that the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, had denied knowledge of the agency and the so-called director-general.

President Bola Tinubu had on Tuesday also directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the fictitious PFIPC.

The president also directed the commission to conclude the investigation and submit a comprehensive report within 30 days.

This is contained in a statement issued by Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The directive followed the discovery that the PFIPC was never established by the Federal Government and had no legal backing, presidential approval or executive authorisation.

Tinubu said the probe should extend beyond the principal suspect to identify all collaborators and those who may have facilitated the alleged scheme.

The President said anyone found culpable at the conclusion of the investigation should be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.

(NAN)