NSA, AGF, Others to Face Reps Today Over ‘Phantom’ N1.3bn Council

By Victor Idajili

Top government officials, including the National Security Adviser and the Attorney-General of the Federation, will appear before the House of Representatives today to explain the operations and legal backing of a controversial body known as the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC.

The House Ad Hoc Committee investigating the council is also expecting the Accountant-General of the Federation, Minister of Foreign Affairs, DG of DSS, IGP, Chairmen of EFCC, ICPC, and FRC, Auditor-General for the Federation, and the Executive Secretary of NIPC.

The panel, chaired by Rep. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, was set up to probe how the PFIPC was created, how it operates, and why more than N1.3 billion was budgeted for it in the 2026 budget despite doubts about its legal status.

Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, inaugurated the committee on Monday and told members to focus on facts. “Every public institution must derive its authority from the law,” he said.

The committee began work with testimonies from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

A CBN director, Hamisu Abdullahi, who represented the CBN Governor, told lawmakers that the apex bank opened two domiciliary accounts — in dollars and pounds — for the “Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council” on July 30, 2025, following a directive from the Accountant-General’s office. 

He, however, said both accounts have remained empty and inactive because no authorized signatories were ever submitted.

Head of Civil Service, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, also told the panel that her office did not set up the council or post any civil servants to it. She added that while the PFIPC applied for approval of its structure and staffing, her office later found problems with the legal documents it presented as its enabling law.

The committee is now looking into the PFIPC’s legal foundation, who its members are, how it is funded, and how it has been using official government letterheads and correspondence.

Lawmakers say the probe is aimed at enforcing accountability and ensuring that no government body spends public funds without clear legal authority.