PFIPC Probe: Allow me testify, I’m being made a scapegoat- Fake DG Pleads

The Director-General of the embattled Presidential Fiscal and Investment Policy Coordination Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, has formally requested the House of Representatives to allow him to personally appear before its investigative committee, arguing that he is being unjustly held responsible for the controversy surrounding the council.

Speaking through his legal representatives, Adeyemi insisted that any findings reached without hearing his side of the story would be incomplete and would violate his constitutional right to fair hearing.

His legal team maintained that the PFIPC did not function independently, noting that several federal government institutions engaged with and officially recognised the council over the years. They claimed that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Budget Office, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation carried out administrative dealings involving the council. They also pointed out that the PFIPC received a budgetary allocation of ₦1.302 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

According to the lawyers, it would have been impossible for a single individual to establish and operate such an organisation without the involvement of multiple government institutions. They argued that their client is unfairly being singled out for what they described as broader administrative shortcomings within the system.

The controversy intensified after the Presidency publicly declared that the PFIPC had never been created through an Act of Parliament, an Executive Order, or any presidential directive, despite operating openly as a government agency.

Following the revelation, the Presidency directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the council’s establishment, funding, and activities. At the same time, the House of Representatives has continued its own inquiry into the matter.

Both investigations are expected to establish how the council gained official recognition, secured government funding, and operated within the federal public service despite questions surrounding its legal status.