Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), has said he would not accuse the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, of lying over claims that the agency never existed, but insisted that an independent investigation is needed to establish the truth.
Speaking during an interview with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi expressed confusion over how the PFIPC was included in the national budget despite the Presidency’s recent declaration that the agency was non-existent.
According to him, the circumstances surrounding the agency’s budgetary allocation remain unclear because he was in police detention throughout the period the budget was being prepared and therefore could not have participated in the budget defence process.
Adeyemi disclosed that he honoured an invitation from the Nigeria Police Force on October 27 over a petition allegedly submitted by Gbajabiamila questioning the activities of the PFIPC.
He said investigators questioned him about the agency, his appointment letter and those who facilitated his appointment, adding that he provided all the information requested.
The self-acclaimed PFIPC boss said he remained in detention for 23 days, from October 27 to November 19, before he was later charged to court on November 27.
He maintained that neither he nor any representative of the agency appeared before the National Assembly to defend its budget, making it difficult for him to understand how the allocation was eventually approved and signed into law.
Adeyemi further revealed that by the time he regained his freedom, the office previously occupied by the PFIPC had already been reallocated to another government official.
He questioned how the agency’s budget passed through both chambers of the National Assembly without any objection before receiving presidential assent.
“I was in detention during the period for the preparation of budget. I did not defend the budget, and nobody went for the defence. That’s why I am confused that how come the budget that nobody defended still found its way into the national budget,” he said.
Responding to Gbajabiamila’s insistence that the PFIPC never existed, Adeyemi said he would not describe the Chief of Staff as dishonest but urged President Bola Tinubu to establish a panel to investigate the controversy.
“I wouldn’t say he is lying, and I wouldn’t say he’s saying the truth. That’s why I requested that Mr President should set up an investigative panel to look into this whole issue and unravel the truth, so we know who is involved,” he said.
Adeyemi also pledged to hand over all documents in his possession to the Nigeria Police Force or the Department of State Services to assist investigators in verifying their authenticity and determining how the agency emerged.
He further alleged that he survived an attack by unidentified gunmen near Zuma Rock, close to Madala, in September last year.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has already ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences to investigate PFIPC. Adeyemi’s father was arrested yesterday after Gbajabiamila threatened N10 billion suit against Adeyemi.
