The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing the alleged establishment of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) without legal backing has summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to explain how the council allegedly operated despite concerns over its legitimacy. The committee also issued a final ultimatum to relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that have yet to appear before it, directing them to attend its sitting on Thursday.
The summons followed the submission of a memorandum by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Umar Ahmed, which stated that the ministry never had any official relationship with the PFIPC. Instead, the ministry said it sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser after identifying irregularities in correspondence sent by the council.
Appearing before the panel with a letter dated July 21, 2026, Ahmed disclosed that Prince Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, who identified himself as Director-General of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PEAC/PFIPC), approached the ministry on three occasions seeking its endorsement and collaboration to organise a World Investment Summit in Nigeria. According to him, the ministry received the requests on June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026, but declined to act on them after conducting due diligence.
Explaining the ministry's position, Ahmed quoted the official response, saying: “Guided by extant rules and regulations as well as the necessity of carrying out due diligence before obliging any request, the ministry did not take any action on the requests. The ministry’s refusal to oblige the requests was further necessitated by some of the discrepancies observed in the letters submitted by Prince Adeyemi and the ongoing investigation on the legitimacy of the PFIPC and the personality of its alleged Director-General.”
The ministry further revealed that it wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser on October 16, 2025, seeking clarification on Adeyemi's status. Ahmed said the NSA replied on November 26, 2025, after making enquiries with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, confirming that “Prince Mathew Adeyemi is unknown to any office of the Federal Government.” He also insisted that the ministry had no operational relationship with the council, stating: “The ministry did not participate in any diplomatic engagement, bilateral and multilateral discussions held by the PFIPC. The ministry has never had any official interaction or engagement with the PFIPC or its alleged Director-General.”
During the hearing, committee member Abubakar Hassan Fulata questioned why the ministry did not take stronger action after learning that the council lacked legal recognition. “After confirming from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to Mr President that this entity does not exist legally, did you communicate to the so-called Director-General that this organisation is illegal and that you should not interact with it any further?” Fulata asked. Responding, the committee chairman defended the ministry's decision to alert the NSA but argued that the security office must now account for its own actions. “The Office of the National Security Adviser should appear before this committee and explain that aspect... The NSA responded that it is an illegal agency. What has the Office of the NSA done as a security office after discovering that the agency does not exist? I think they should have taken action, so they should tell us the action they have taken.”
Lawmakers also expressed concern over reports that the alleged council had engaged foreign diplomats despite the ministry's disclaimer. The committee chairman described the situation as evidence of poor coordination among government institutions, saying: “Our responsibility is to make laws. Then a strange agency that is supposed to do our function is introduced to us... Somebody will outsmart agencies, form a fake agency, get documents and approvals from agencies, conduct diplomatic engagements with foreign nationals. I think this is a big insult on the Nigerian people.” In response, Ahmed acknowledged that some organisations sometimes bypass official diplomatic procedures, noting: “Sometimes, we find that some of these organisations engage in direct missions without the permission of the Ministry. We always send circulars to inform them that it is necessary to follow the laid-down channels of communication.”
While commending the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for providing useful information, the committee said its investigation remained ongoing. The chairman stated: “You have done well by giving us the fundamentals of what you understand and the effort the ministry has made. We cannot say that you have not given us information that will help us.” He, however, reminded members that “the Minister of Foreign Affairs still has to appear here on Thursday,” while directing the committee secretariat to also invite the National Security Adviser to respond to issues arising from the ministry's testimony.
Reps issue final warning to MDAs involved.
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has issued a final warning to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that failed to honour its invitation, directing their chief executives to appear before it on Thursday or face constitutional sanctions. The committee expressed disappointment over the absence of several agencies at its latest sitting, describing the development as a challenge to the National Assembly's oversight authority.
Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi condemned the agencies' failure to appear, calling it a direct affront to the constitutional powers of the House of Representatives. He said, “The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating activities surrounding the alleged establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council wishes to express its profound disappointment over the failure of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government to honour its invitation and appear before the committee today. The committee views this misconduct as a very serious affront on the constitutional oversight powers of the House of Representatives and an unacceptable disregard for the authority of the Parliament, which represents the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.”
Gagdi stressed that invitations issued by House committees are backed by the Constitution and must be obeyed. “The invitations issued by a duly constituted committee of the House of Representatives are not a matter of discretion. They are issued pursuant to the constitutional powers vested in the National Assembly under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Therefore, it is a legal obligation, not an act of courtesy,” he said. He added that Thursday would be the final opportunity for defaulting agencies to comply, insisting that only their accounting officers or chief executives—not representatives or permanent secretaries—would be accepted. “We don’t want representation. We don’t want permanent secretaries. We want the accounting officers of the agencies to appear before us with all the relevant documents requested by the committee and any other documents they consider useful to this investigation.”
The committee chairman warned that any agency that ignored the directive without lawful justification would face the full weight of the law. “Any ministry, department or agency that fails to appear without lawful justification will leave the committee with no alternative but to invoke every constitutional and statutory power available to us as the House of Representatives to compel compliance and ensure accountability. The committee will not hesitate to recommend and pursue every sanction permitted by law against any person or institution that deliberately obstructs or frustrates this investigation,” Gagdi declared.
He maintained that the investigation was not aimed at witch-hunting any individual or institution but at safeguarding constitutional governance and accountability. “This investigation is in the national interest. It is not targeted at any individual or institution, but it is aimed at establishing the facts, protecting the integrity of public administration, guarding the rule of law and ensuring that no public officer or institution operates outside the framework of the Constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said. Reaffirming the committee's commitment to fairness, Gagdi added: “The committee remains committed to conducting this assignment professionally, fairly, transparently and without fear or favour. No agency of government, regardless of its status or perceived influence, will be permitted to undermine the constitutional authority of the House of Representatives or frustrate the discharge of its legislative responsibility.”
The committee also rejected the representative sent by the Ministry of Finance after he introduced himself as a Deputy Director in the Cash Management Department, insisting that only the ministry's accounting officer would be allowed to testify. Lawmakers noted that issues raised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the hearing further underscored the need for the finance ministry's leadership to appear in person. The hearing was subsequently adjourned until Thursday, July 23, 2026, at noon, when all defaulting agencies are expected to attend with the requested documents.