ALLEGED PFIPC BOSS HIJACKED TREASURY LETTER TO COVER UP FORGERY— AGF

The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, has alleged that Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man at the centre of the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), intercepted an official correspondence from the Office of the Accountant-General that could have uncovered the alleged forgery of documents used to obtain government recognition for the council.

Ogunjimi made the disclosure on Monday while testifying before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the legitimacy of the PFIPC and the ₦1.3 billion allocated to the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The controversy has attracted widespread attention following claims by Adeyemi that he was appointed Director-General of the council through a letter allegedly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. The Presidency has since dismissed the claim, with Gbajabiamila denying issuing any such appointment.

Adeyemi was arrested by operatives of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Osun State on July 14 over allegations linked to the creation and activities of the council.

Giving evidence before the committee, Ogunjimi said the Office of the Accountant-General first became aware of the PFIPC in November 2024 after receiving what appeared to be an official request from the State House seeking an administrative code for the council.

He explained that the request, which was written on State House letterhead, asked the Treasury to create an administrative code that would enable the council to undertake budgeting, accounting and financial reporting.

Believing the request originated from the Presidency, the Treasury processed it in line with established government procedures.

According to Ogunjimi, the Office of the Accountant-General issued the administrative code and sent a response to the State House on November 29, 2024, while copying the Budget Office of the Federation.

He, however, alleged that the response never reached its intended destination because it was intercepted by Adeyemi.

“The letter that was written to the Treasury for us to give an administrative code was responded to. Unfortunately, as events unfolded, it was discovered that that letter did not get to State House. It was hijacked, precisely by the same man who claimed to be the director-general.”

The Accountant-General said that if the letter had reached the State House, officials there would have immediately realised they never initiated the request for the administrative code.

“Because if our letter responding to the request of the State House that administrative code should be issued had gotten to State House, definitely the State House would have noticed that the letter requesting for administrative code was never issued by the State House,” he said.

Ogunjimi further informed lawmakers that investigations later revealed that the documents submitted by those behind the council were allegedly forged.

He said the promoters presented what purported to be an Act of the National Assembly establishing the agency, alongside an appointment letter and other official documents, all of which were subsequently found to be fake.

“What the fake agency did was to submit a fake Act — so we can call it fake now because we have seen it to be fake — purportedly enacted by the National Assembly, a fake letter of appointment; everything that was submitted to the leadership in Treasury was fake,” Ogunjimi said.

He explained that Treasury officials processed the application because all the documents appeared authentic and suggested they originated from the Presidency.

“And so, probably they (OAGF) did not realise that it was fake, and because it was coming from State House, the approval was given for the administrative code to be issued,” he added.

The Accountant-General also clarified the status of two government officials who were later discovered to have been working with the controversial council.

According to him, Treasury records indicated that the officers had been posted to the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President in 2010 and 2013, and there was no indication they had moved elsewhere.

He said the Office of the Accountant-General only became aware during the investigation that both officials had been working with or had been absorbed into the PFIPC.

“We never knew. We believed, based on the records available to Treasury, that those officers were still with the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President.

“It was when all this matter came to light that we got to know that two of our staff were actually working or had been absorbed by the fake agency.”

Ogunjimi further disclosed that the PFIPC sought approval to open a Treasury Single Account (TSA) as well as two domiciliary accounts in United States dollars and British pounds with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He said the council claimed the accounts were required to facilitate foreign investment transactions and preparations for a proposed global investment summit.

While the Treasury approved the domiciliary accounts solely for receiving inflows, Ogunjimi said the request for a Treasury Single Account was rejected.

He added that none of the accounts became operational because the council failed to meet the additional conditions required for activation.

Following the testimony, the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee directed the Inspector-General of Police, through IGP Olatunji Disu, to produce Adeyemi before the panel on Wednesday to answer questions regarding the alleged forged documents, fake appointment letter, purported Act of the National Assembly and other issues surrounding the PFIPC.

The committee is continuing its investigation into the circumstances under which the council secured a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite allegations that its establishment and supporting documents were fraudulent.