The fake government agency scandal surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has taken a dramatic turn, with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovering two more fictitious agencies allegedly linked to the scheme.
The shocking discovery was disclosed on Thursday by the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, after he presented the commission’s interim investigation report to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The two newly uncovered entities are the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency.
According to the ICPC chairman, both organisations were allegedly created using forged legislative instruments and subsequently used to open bank accounts for what the commission described as illegal activities.
The latest revelation has widened the scope of the investigation into Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC.
The ICPC said its investigators found that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government, while the PFIPC itself had no legal foundation.
Aliyu said the organisation was neither established by an Act of the National Assembly nor created through an executive order.
Investigators also discovered that the appointment letter allegedly used by Adeyemi was forged.
The commission further alleged that the fake agency illegally took over offices and official instruments previously used by the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).
According to Aliyu, the syndicate operated from the former PEAC office and allegedly engaged in impersonation, false representation and other unlawful activities by exploiting gaps in government verification and coordination systems.
‘FAKE COUNCIL’ CHANGED NAME TO CHASE REVENUE
The ICPC chairman also revealed that the organisation underwent a suspicious name change.
According to him, Adeyemi initially operated under the name Foreign Investment Promotion Council before changing it to Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in what investigators believe was an attempt to expand its activities and venture into revenue generation.
However, Aliyu said the investigation found no evidence that government funds were approved or released to the alleged fake PFIPC/PEAC.
He also said the commission found no weakness in the systems of the State House or the Central Bank of Nigeria that could have facilitated such disbursement.
TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICES UNDER SPOTLIGHT
The investigation has also cast a spotlight on officials from several key government institutions.
According to the interim report, officials from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office of the Federation and National Information Technology Development Agency were identified as alleged collaborators.
The ICPC, however, stressed that the investigation was still ongoing and that the interim findings did not represent the final outcome of the probe.
Aliyu said the commission had recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi, disciplinary action against public officials allegedly involved in the scheme and reforms to tighten verification and internal control mechanisms across government institutions.
He said the investigation would continue to gather additional evidence needed to file criminal charges against Adeyemi and other alleged collaborators.
President Tinubu has also been briefed on the findings, as the government moves to unravel how an organisation allegedly lacking legal existence was able to present itself as a federal institution and gain access to government facilities and official instruments.
The ICPC had launched the investigation following questions over the existence and activities of the PFIPC, which allegedly operated as a federal government agency despite having no known legal backing.
The commission’s earlier findings established that the council was never created by law and that Adeyemi allegedly relied on forged appointment documents while occupying facilities previously belonging to the defunct PEAC.
With the discovery of two more alleged fake agencies, the ICPC probe appears to have opened a much wider can of worms, with investigators warning that more revelations could emerge as the investigation continues.
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