The House of Representatives committee investigating the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has uncovered about 58 bank accounts allegedly linked to its Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
The Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting the panel’s preliminary report to parliamentary correspondents in Abuja.
According to Gagdi, more than 30 of the accounts were operated in the names of about nine agencies, companies, foundations and related entities allegedly connected to Adeyemi.
The entities include the Confederation of United Nations Youths, FCT Investment Promotion Agency, United Nations Youth Global Agency, United Nations Youth Global Foundation, World United Nations Youth Global Foundation, World Entrepreneurship University Limited and Olubadan of Ibadan Foundation, among others.
Gagdi, however, stressed that the committee had not concluded that all the accounts or transactions were unlawful.
He said the panel was still reconciling registration records, account mandates, beneficial ownership details, signatories and transaction histories.
The committee also identified an alleged N400 million transaction involving a company which claimed that Adeyemi induced it to make payments in four instalments after allegedly representing that he could secure a contract for the renovation or furnishing of a purported official residence allocated to him as PFIPC Director-General.
Gagdi said the investigation found no Act of the National Assembly, gazetted enactment or Presidential Executive Order establishing the purported council.
The committee also reported alleged fabrication of official documents, including a purported presidential appointment letter for Adeyemi, an alleged Executive Order and a document presented as an Act of the National Assembly establishing the organisation.
According to the committee chairman, evidence from the State House showed that the purported appointment letter was neither issued nor signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The committee subsequently exonerated Gbajabiamila from allegations that he authorised the activities of the purported council.
Gagdi said the investigation was aimed at protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s institutions.
“The Presidency cannot be impersonated with impunity,” he said.
The committee recommended that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies refrain from recognising or transacting with the PFIPC.
It also recommended that relevant agencies institute criminal proceedings where sufficient evidence of wrongdoing is established.
