The Nigerians Senate is set to deliberate on the controversy surrounding the N1.3 billion budget allocation to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) as plenary resumes on Tuesday. The development follows reports that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew allegedly used a forged appointment letter carrying a falsified signature of Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to […]

The Nigerians Senate is set to deliberate on the controversy surrounding the N1.3 billion budget allocation to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) as plenary resumes on Tuesday.

The development follows reports that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew allegedly used a forged appointment letter carrying a falsified signature of Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to obtain office space at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, allowing the council to operate as though it were a legitimate government agency.

Officials familiar with the matter said the document reportedly escaped proper scrutiny at the Civil Service Headquarters, the Budget Office and the National Assembly, creating the impression that the council was lawfully established.

According to Presidency sources, only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, acting through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has the constitutional authority to approve appointments into agencies under the Presidency, not the Chief of Staff.

The sources further disclosed that officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) uncovered the alleged irregularities after discovering that the council’s activities overlapped with the commission’s statutory responsibilities, prompting security investigations.

The controversy has attracted widespread reactions from SERAP, HEDA, opposition parties and civil society groups, all of whom have demanded a comprehensive probe into the controversial allocation and the processes that gave the agency apparent government recognition.

Adeyemi is expected to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27 alongside two other suspects who remain at large, while the Senate is expected to address the matter during Tuesday’s plenar