The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has cleared the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any wrongdoing in the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The anti-graft agency said investigations revealed that the purported Director-General of the PFIPC, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the appointment letter he presented was forged.
ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), disclosed the findings on Thursday while presenting the commission’s interim investigation report to President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
President Tinubu had on July 7 directed the ICPC to investigate allegations by Adeyemi that he paid N400 million to Gbajabiamila to secure his appointment as Director-General of the alleged agency. The commission was given 30 days to conclude the investigation and submit its report.
Aliyu said the investigation established that the PFIPC was not created by any law, executive order or valid government instrument, describing it as a fictitious organisation.
He added that Adeyemi allegedly used forged documents, including a fake gazette and other fabricated legal instruments, to create the impression that the agency was a legitimate government body.
According to the ICPC chairman, Adeyemi also unlawfully occupied the office of the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) after allegedly breaking into the premises and using the facility to conduct activities under the name of the fake agency.
“The PFIPC was never established by any law, executive order or any other valid instrument of government, and the appointment letter presented by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was completely forged alongside similar documents used to perpetrate the illegal activities of the fake agency,” Aliyu said.
The commission also disclosed that Adeyemi allegedly created two other fictitious agencies — the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership.
Aliyu said the investigation uncovered weaknesses in government verification processes and inter-agency coordination, which were allegedly exploited by Adeyemi with the negligence or involvement of some public officials.
However, the ICPC said it found no evidence that Federal Government funds were approved or released to the fake PFIPC.
The commission also stated that there were no breaches in the systems of the State House or the Central Bank of Nigeria, and that the forged appointment letter did not originate from the Presidency.
The ICPC recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi, administrative sanctions for public officers whose negligence contributed to the operation of the fake agency, and reforms to strengthen verification and internal control systems across government institutions.
Meanwhile, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said President Tinubu would review the report and consult with the Attorney-General of the Federation before deciding on further action.
Dare said the President directed that the findings be made public in the interest of transparency, while investigations by the National Assembly, police and other relevant agencies would continue.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also disclosed before a House of Representatives committee investigating the matter that the fake agency’s website listed President Tinubu as chairman of its governing board, alongside other senior government officials.
FRSC Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed said the fake website, government-looking correspondence and successful verification of statutory payments through the REMITA platform led the agency to issue official number plates for seven vehicles belonging to the organisation.
He admitted that the incident exposed weaknesses in the agency’s verification process and said measures had been introduced to strengthen internal checks and recover the number plates issued to the fake organisation.
The House committee chairman, Yusuf Gagdi, however, questioned how the FRSC failed to detect irregularities in the documents presented by Adeyemi, particularly the claim that the President and other top government officials served on the board of the purported agency.
