The House of Representatives has intensified its investigation into the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) accused of failing to cooperate with its inquiry.
The House Ad-hoc Committee investigating the establishment, funding and operations of the controversial council warned that any agency that fails to appear before it with the required documents and officials would face sanctions in line with the law.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, described the refusal of some MDAs to honour invitations as a direct challenge to the constitutional oversight powers of the National Assembly.
He stressed that invitations issued by the House are legally binding under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, noting that compliance is a legal obligation and not a matter of discretion.
Gagdi directed all defaulting agencies to appear before the committee on Thursday with all requested documents, describing it as their final opportunity to comply voluntarily.
He warned that the committee would invoke all constitutional and statutory powers available to compel compliance and recommend appropriate sanctions against any institution or individual found to be obstructing the investigation.
According to him, the inquiry is aimed at establishing the facts surrounding the activities of the PFIPC, protecting the integrity of public administration and ensuring that no government institution operates outside the provisions of the Constitution.
The committee also insisted that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, personally appear before the panel, despite the ministry sending a representative to Tuesday’s hearing.
During the hearing, officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria disclosed that bank accounts linked to the alleged council were opened on the directive of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation but contained zero balances and had recorded no financial transactions.
The committee has also received submissions from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General and other government agencies as it investigates how the council allegedly appeared in official government records despite concerns over its legal status.
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has withdrawn from representing the alleged Director-General of the PFIPC, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
Falana confirmed his withdrawal but did not disclose the reason for the decision.
However, sources familiar with the matter said the senior lawyer had advised Adeyemi against granting media interviews while investigations were ongoing. The sources added that Falana’s decision to withdraw followed Adeyemi’s reported indication that he would not appear in court on the scheduled date of his arraignment.
Adeyemi remains under investigation over allegations of forgery, impersonation and conspiracy linked to the controversial council. He has denied all the allegations.
The Federal High Court in Abuja is handling the criminal proceedings, while the Nigeria Police Force, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the House of Representatives continue separate investigations into the matter.
Also reacting to the controversy, human rights activist Omoyele Sowore challenged the ICPC to release the full video of its interrogation of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the PFIPC investigation.
The ICPC had earlier clarified that Gbajabiamila was not arrested but voluntarily honoured an invitation from investigators and made a statement before leaving its headquarters in Abuja.
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