- The ongoing investigation into the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has exposed major weaknesses in Nigeria’s budgeting, appointment verification and banking systems, with calls mounting for sweeping institutional reforms to prevent a repeat of the scandal.
The position was contained in an opinion article by Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Special Duties, Tunde Rahman, who argued that the controversy extends beyond the criminal charges against the alleged mastermind, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew.
Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge bordering on fraud and forgery over allegations that he used forged government documents to operate the non-existent PFIPC.
Rahman said the scandal highlighted deep institutional failures after the alleged fake agency reportedly secured about N1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act, obtained office space within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, hosted government officials and allegedly operated multiple bank accounts despite lacking legal recognition.
According to him, one of the biggest concerns is how a non-existent agency found its way into the national budget without undergoing the standard legislative scrutiny required during the appropriation process.
He noted that the allocation reportedly entered the budget without any formal defence before relevant committees, raising concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s budget process.
Rahman argued that the development underscores longstanding criticisms of budget insertions and inflated appropriations, warning that fiscal oversight mechanisms failed to detect what he described as a “ghost agency.
The presidential aide also questioned how Adeyemi allegedly secured office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat using what authorities claim was a forged appointment letter bearing the purported signature of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
He said the ease with which the alleged forged documents were accepted exposed significant weaknesses in appointment verification procedures across the federal civil service.
According to him, the incident demonstrated vulnerabilities that could allow individuals to impersonate senior government officials or occupy sensitive public offices through forged credentials.
Rahman further raised concerns over the banking aspect of the scandal, questioning how PFIPC allegedly opened accounts, including a Treasury Single Account and other bank accounts, despite being an unregistered government entity.
He said financial institutions and relevant authorities would need to explain how due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements were allegedly bypassed if the allegations are confirmed.
The presidential aide maintained that while allegations linking the Chief of Staff to the scandal remain before the courts and have been denied by Gbajabiamila, the more pressing issue is the institutional weaknesses exposed by the case.
He noted that the Office of the Chief of Staff was among the first to raise the alarm after the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council reportedly flagged the fake agency, leading to Adeyemi’s arrest and prosecution.
Rahman welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conclude its investigation into the matter within one month, while noting that the House of Representatives has also commenced its own inquiry.
He proposed several reforms, including stricter budget integrity measures to prevent allocations to agencies without legal backing, a digital appointment verification portal managed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, tighter access control and auditing of office allocations within the Federal Secretariat, and stronger banking verification procedures before government-linked accounts are opened.
According to him, the PFIPC controversy should serve as a wake-up call for institutional reforms, insisting that the scandal demonstrated failures in the country’s budget, appointment and banking systems rather than merely the actions of one individual.
