The House of Representatives has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) accused of frustrating its investigation into the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), warning that it will invoke its constitutional powers against any institution that fails to comply.
The House Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged establishment, funding and operations of the controversial council gave the directive on Tuesday, describing the refusal of some government agencies to honour its invitations as a direct challenge to the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight powers.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, said defaulting MDAs must appear before the panel on Thursday with all requested officials and relevant documents or face sanctions permitted under the law.
“The committee views this conduct as a serious affront to the constitutional oversight powers of the House of Representatives and an unacceptable disregard for the authority of parliament,” Gagdi said.
He stressed that invitations issued by committees of the House are backed by Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), making compliance a legal obligation rather than a matter of discretion.
According to him, Thursday’s hearing represents the final opportunity for the affected agencies to cooperate voluntarily.
“Any ministry, department or agency that fails to appear without lawful justification will leave the committee with no alternative but to invoke every constitutional and statutory power available to compel compliance and ensure accountability,” he warned.
Gagdi maintained that the investigation was not aimed at victimising any individual or institution but at establishing the facts surrounding the PFIPC and ensuring that no public office or agency operates outside the law.
Bianca summoned despite ministry’s representative
The committee also insisted that Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, must personally appear before the panel, rejecting the appearance of a ministry representative during Tuesday’s hearing.
The House is probing allegations that the PFIPC operated as a government agency despite questions surrounding its legal foundation and how it appeared in official government records.
Earlier hearings heard that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs neither recognised the council nor had any official dealings with its alleged Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
The ministry also informed lawmakers that the Office of the National Security Adviser had indicated that both Adeyemi and the council were unknown to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) told the committee that bank accounts linked to the alleged agency were opened on the directive of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation but contained zero balances and recorded no financial transactions.
The committee has also received submissions from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General and other government institutions as it seeks to determine how the agency allegedly gained recognition in official documents.
Falana withdraws from Adeyemi’s legal team
In a fresh twist, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has withdrawn from representing Adeyemi in the ongoing case.
Confirming the development in an interview on Tuesday, Falana simply stated, “I have withdrawn from the Adeyemi case,” without giving reasons for his decision.
However, sources familiar with the matter said the senior lawyer, who reportedly took up the case pro bono, had advised Adeyemi against granting media interviews while investigations and court proceedings were ongoing.
According to the source, Adeyemi ignored the advice by participating in an Instagram Live session with social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
The source further disclosed that Falana’s final decision to withdraw came after Adeyemi informed him that he would not appear in court on July 27 for his scheduled arraignment.
Adeyemi remains under investigation over allegations of forgery, impersonation and conspiracy linked to the controversial council. He has denied all allegations.
Sowore demands release of Gbajabiamila interrogation video
Also reacting to the controversy, human rights activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, challenged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to release the full, unedited video of its interrogation of President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Sowore dismissed the ICPC’s explanation that Gbajabiamila merely honoured an invitation from investigators.
“If the ICPC truly interrogated Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, they should release the full, unedited video recording to the public now. All these gimmicks won’t work. We know this is just another smokescreen,” he wrote.
His demand followed the ICPC’s denial of reports that Gbajabiamila was arrested over the PFIPC investigation.
The commission clarified that the Chief of Staff voluntarily appeared before investigators at its Abuja headquarters on Monday, where he responded to questions relating to the ongoing probe before departing after making his statement.
The Federal High Court in Abuja is currently handling criminal proceedings arising from the allegations against Adeyemi, while the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies continue separate investigations into the controversial PFIPC.
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