The State House has denied any role in requesting a budget code for the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) or authorising the establishment of the body.
The clarification came on Thursday as the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the PFIPC uncovered fresh inconsistencies in documents used to establish the alleged agency.
During the committee’s investigative hearing at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, officials from the State House and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) appeared before lawmakers to explain their respective roles in the activities of the council, which is alleged to have operated without lawful approval.
The State House denies involvement in PFIPC development follows an ongoing investigation into how the council allegedly secured official government recognition and became integrated into aspects of the Federal Government’s administrative and budgetary processes in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite questions surrounding its legal status.
Representing the Permanent Secretary, State House, the Director of Administration, Abdulkadri Idris, told lawmakers that the Presidency neither initiated nor approved the creation of the PFIPC and never requested the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to issue a budget code for the council.
“I want to state that we did not send any correspondence nor any request to the Office of the Accountant-General in respect of this council. We don’t even know anything about this council. We never heard about this council until we started seeing it in the media,” Idris said.
He explained that the State House has no constitutional or statutory responsibility for establishing government agencies and therefore could not have issued any communication creating the council.
The State House denies involvement in PFIPC probe also saw Idris dismiss documents presented before the committee that were purportedly issued by the Presidency, describing them as fraudulent.
The House committee is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the creation, recognition, and operations of the PFIPC.
BACKSTORY:
The House of Representatives launched an investigation into the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) after concerns emerged over the legality of the body and how it allegedly gained official recognition within government processes.
The controversy deepened after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) disclosed that the PFIPC was never legally established by the Federal Government and that documents used to support its existence were allegedly forged. The anti-graft agency also identified additional fake agencies and recommended criminal prosecution for those allegedly involved.
As part of the National Assembly’s investigation, several government institutions, including the State House, have been invited to explain whether they played any role in the council’s creation, recognition, or inclusion in government budgetary processes. Thursday’s hearing forms part of the committee’s efforts to determine how the alleged fake agency operated within the federal system. by an Act of the National Assembly or an executive order of the Federal Government. Investigators also alleged that forged appointment letters and legislative documents were used to give the organisation an appearance of legitimacy.
The latest findings, including the discovery of two additional fake agencies, have raised fresh concerns about weaknesses in government oversight and internal controls. The ICPC says investigations are ongoing to identify all those involved and ensure that anyone found culpable is prosecuted in accordance with the law.
