Fresh documents have revealed that the Federal Government approved the recruitment of 300 personnel for the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) months before the Presidency declared that the agency does not exist.
In a letter seen by TheCable, dated August 7, 2025, signed by Mimi Abu, Director of Organisation Design and Development in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, granted the council a waiver to recruit staff despite the Federal Government’s embargo on public service employment.
The approval covered key positions, including directors, assistant directors, administrative officers, accountants, lawyers, procurement officers, statisticians, investment promotion officers and drivers.
The agency was also directed to obtain Budget Office clearance, comply with the Federal Character principle and reserve five per cent of the vacancies for persons with disabilities.
DDM also uncovered that a day after receiving the approval, PFIPC Director-General Adeniyi Adeyemi publicly thanked President Bola Tinubu for what he described as support for the agency.
He also announced plans to establish offices in the 36 states and 127 offices abroad.
The revelations have deepened the controversy surrounding the council after the Presidency, through Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, announced on June 11 that the PFIPC is not an agency of the Tinubu administration.
Despite the disclaimer, PFIPC reportedly received a N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 federal budget and has allegedly operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, where it hosted diplomats, government officials and public events.
The matter has since taken a legal turn, with the Nigeria Police filing an eight-count criminal charge against Adeyemi, according to presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga.
Adeyemi has rejected the Presidency’s position, insisting the council is legitimate.
He also alleged that he was pressured to surrender 48 per cent of the agency’s take-off grant and claimed he paid N400 million to secure his appointment, with an outstanding balance of N200 million.
Those allegations have not been independently verified as the time of filling this report.
The Cable news.
