The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has officially cleared the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any involvement in the purported agency.
Chaired by Rep. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, the panel stated in its preliminary findings that there is zero evidence linking Gbajabiamila to the establishment of the organization or the appointment of its self-proclaimed Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
The investigation heavily scrutinized a leaked letter that supposedly appointed Adeyemi to lead the PFIPC, which bore a signature attributed to the Chief of Staff.
However, forensic evaluations and official testimonies obtained directly from the State House confirmed that the document was neither issued nor signed by Gbajabiamila.
Investigators also pointed out glaring administrative flaws, noting that the document lacked authentic State House letterhead and featured a reference number completely incompatible with official presidential correspondence systems.
Rather than being a participant, the committee revealed that Gbajabiamila was actually the whistleblower who triggered initial investigations into the shadow council.
After receiving red flags from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission regarding the purported agency and a planned World Investment Summit, the Chief of Staff immediately alerted major security architectures, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Lawmakers commended the Chief of Staff for his proactive security and administrative measures, emphasizing that his swift actions prevented potential public deception and facilitated a deeper probe into the scam.
The committee stressed that while these preliminary findings vindicate Gbajabiamila, the broader inquiry remains open to thoroughly examine all other individuals and institutions entangled in the PFIPC controversy.
