By Idriss LAWAL
Nigeria President Bola Tinubu, has finally, broken his silence on the ‘fake’ federal agency saga that has refused to go away.
Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila’s name has come up in the scheme of things, though he has dissociated himself from it.
The presidency’s declaration that a supposed federal agency never existed triggered a chain of high-stakes developments.
President Tinubu yesterday ordered a sweeping probe of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
It was the first time the President would personally take any action since the matter came into the public domain.
He directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to get to the root of the matter.
Gbajabiamila has demanded N10 billion in damages over alleged defamation from the purported PFIPC Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew.
The Senate distanced itself from the controversy, saying it was strictly within the executive’s remit.
President Tinubu directed the ICPC to conduct a comprehensive investigation into PFIPC’s activities.
He described it as a fictitious body unknown to the Federal Government.
The President gave the anti-graft agency 30 days to conclude its investigation and submit a detailed report.
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According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the directive followed the discovery that the PFIPC “was never established by the Federal Government of Nigeria and has no basis in any law, presidential instrument, executive approval, or other lawful act of Government.”
The statement identified Matthew as the individual who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the council and falsely claimed to have been appointed by the President.
President Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate alleged forged appointment letters and other government documents, the use of purported presidential appointments to obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation, and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of alleged government agencies using forged documents.
