‘I Was in Police Detention During Budget Process’ — PFIPC DG Questions How ‘Non-Existent’ Agency Entered National Budget
Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who identifies himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), has raised fresh questions over how the agency was included in Nigeria’s national budget despite the Presidency’s position that it does not exist.
Speaking during an interview with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi said he was in police detention throughout the period the budget was being prepared, making it impossible for him or anyone acting on behalf of the agency to participate in the budget defence process.
According to Adeyemi, he honoured an invitation from the Nigeria Police Force on October 27 following a petition allegedly submitted by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, challenging the legitimacy of the PFIPC and its operations.
He said investigators questioned him extensively about the agency, his appointment letter and the individuals who facilitated his appointment, adding that he provided all the information requested.
Adeyemi claimed he remained in detention for 23 days, from October 27 to November 19, before being arraigned in court on November 27.
He further alleged that by the time he regained his freedom, the office previously occupied by the PFIPC had already been reassigned to another government official, and he has not returned there since his arrest.
Questioning the circumstances surrounding the agency’s appearance in the national budget, Adeyemi maintained that neither he nor any representative of the PFIPC defended a budget proposal before the National Assembly.
He expressed surprise that lawmakers and other relevant authorities failed to identify what the Presidency has since described as a non-existent agency before the budget was passed and assented to by President Bola Tinubu.
While responding to claims by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila that the PFIPC never existed, Adeyemi stopped short of accusing him of dishonesty, insisting instead that only an independent investigation could establish the facts.
He renewed his call on President Tinubu to constitute an investigative panel to determine how the agency emerged, who authorised its activities and how it eventually appeared in the national budget.
Adeyemi also pledged to submit all documents in his possession to the Nigeria Police Force or the Department of State Services (DSS) to aid investigations and verify the authenticity of his claims.
In a further revelation, he alleged that he survived an attack by unidentified gunmen near Zuma Rock, close to Madala, in September last year.
“You see, this whole thing is confusing,” Adeyemi said. “How did an agency the Presidency says does not exist find its way into the national budget, pass through the National Assembly and receive presidential assent?
“I was in police detention during the period the budget was being prepared. I did not defend any budget, and nobody represented the agency. That is why I believe a thorough investigation is necessary to uncover exactly what happened.”
Comments