By Gift Chapi Odekina, Abuja The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) failed to sit on Wednesday as scheduled, raising fresh questions over the next phase of the probe. The committee had adjourned its previous investigative hearing to August 12 for the continuation of proceedings, with relevant government agencies and stakeholders expected to appear. However, the scheduled sitting did not hold, leaving journalists and other stakeholders without an official explanation. As of the time of filing this report, neither the committee nor its Chairman, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, had issued a statement on why the hearing was not held or whether a new date had been fixed. The development came as the investigation approaches what the committee had earlier indicated could be the concluding stage of its public hearings, before members compile their findings and recommendations. How the controversy started The controversy centres on the PFIPC, an organisation that allegedly operated as a Federal Government agency despite claims that it was not established by law, executive order or any other valid government instrument. Questions arose after the purported council was included in the 2026 Appropriation Act, with about N1.3 billion allocated to it. The House subsequently constituted a 12-member ad hoc committee, chaired by Gagdi, to investigate how the organisation found its way into the Federal Government’s budget and operated within government structures. The probe has expanded to allegations involving forged official documents, acquisition of office space, use of government vehicle number plates and attempts to obtain recognition from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Alleged forged documents A major development before the committee was the discovery of documents allegedly linked to several government institutions. The Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, told the committee that his office acted on a letter purportedly emanating from the State House in processing a budget code for the council. He later stated that the letter did not originate from the Presidency. “The letter that was received by the Treasury was respectfully addressed as coming from the State House. That letter was never issued by the State House,” Ogunjimi said. The committee subsequently said it had uncovered about 29 allegedly forged official documents connected to the purported agency. The documents were reportedly traced to institutions including the State House, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Finance. The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, also told the panel that due diligence was not sufficiently conducted in the handling of documents relating to the purported agency. Gagdi subsequently described the purported appointment letter of the alleged Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi, as fake. Adeyemi’s appearance remains unresolved Another major issue in the investigation is the committee’s inability to publicly question Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the purported council. The committee had earlier directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce Adeyemi within 48 hours, saying his testimony was necessary to resolve outstanding questions surrounding the organisation and the documents attributed to it. The police, however, informed the committee that Adeyemi was being held pursuant to a court order and could not be released to appear before the lawmakers without appropriate judicial authorisation. The committee subsequently resolved to question him at an undisclosed time and location to avoid interfering with ongoing criminal investigations by security and anti-corruption agencies. Adeyemi’s legal team, however, has argued that he should be allowed to respond to the allegations publicly, noting that other persons involved in the matter had appeared before the committee. Presidency disowns council The State House has also denied authorising the creation of the PFIPC or requesting a budget code for it. Appearing before the committee, the Director of Administration in the State House, Abdulkadir Idris, said the Presidency neither created the council nor wrote to the Accountant-General seeking a budget code for it. “We did not send any correspondence or request to the Office of the Accountant-General in respect of this council. We don
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