The House of Representatives will today inaugurate an ad hoc committee to investigate the controversial inclusion of the unestablished Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The panel, chaired by the lawmaker representing Kanke/Kanam/Pankshin Federal Constituency of Plateau State, Yusuf Gagdi, was constituted following a resolution of the House to probe how about ₦1.32 billion was allocated to an agency that had not been legally established.
The inauguration and public hearing will be held at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja in line with Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empower the National Assembly to investigate matters relating to public institutions and the management of public funds.
The investigation follows the arrest of Adeyemi Adeniyi, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC and is accused of facilitating the agency’s inclusion in the 2026 budget despite its non-existence.
The controversy intensified after Adeniyi allegedly claimed he paid ₦100 million through intermediaries to the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to facilitate the establishment of the agency. The allegation has been denied by both the Presidency and the Office of the Chief of Staff.
A notice of invitation signed by Gagdi and obtained by The PUNCH said the committee had invited key government officials, anti-corruption agencies, security institutions, civil society organisations, development partners and members of the public to participate in the hearing.
Those invited include the Ministers of Budget and Economic Planning, Finance, Industry, Trade and Investment, Foreign Affairs, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Also expected are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Chairmen of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Auditor-General for the Federation, the Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, the Director-General of the Department of State Services and the Inspector-General of Police.
The committee also invited stakeholders, professional bodies, civil society groups and members of the public to submit memoranda on issues relating to its terms of reference.
The panel is expected to determine how the PFIPC was included in the 2026 budget despite lacking legal backing and identify the stage in the budget process where the allocation was introduced.
However, the omission of Gbajabiamila and Adeniyi from the list of invited witnesses has drawn criticism.
A member of the committee, who spoke anonymously, questioned the credibility of the probe, arguing that the two central figures in the controversy should have been invited to testify.
“From the notice, the two principal figures—Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi—are missing. There appears to be an attempt to shield the Chief of Staff, and that raises concerns about the credibility of the investigation,” the lawmaker said.
Public affairs analyst Jackson Ojo also criticised the exclusion, saying it could undermine public confidence in the investigation.
“The committee is starting on the wrong footing. They should have invited the Chief of Staff to clear his name. The suspect mentioned him, so excluding him from the hearing raises questions,” Ojo said.
The House constituted the committee following public outrage over the allocation of more than ₦1 billion to an agency the Federal Government has maintained was never legally established.
