Nigeria’s President Orders $1M Fake Agency Probe BODY: Johannesburg, South Africa – Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has initiated an investigation into the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), a fictitious agency that was poised to receive nearly $1 million from the national budget.
The PFIPC, which is not recognized under Nigerian law, was set to receive approximately 1.
The investigation, which has been delegated to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is to be completed within 30 days.
The ICPC will examine claims of forged appointment letters, the use of false claims to gain official recognition, and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the PFIPC’s name. Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who claimed to be the director-general of the PFIPC, has been described as a “con artist “by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga. Matthew faces charges of forgery, impersonation, and related offences, and is believed to be in hiding.
The revelation of the PFIPC’s existence has drawn criticism and questions about the integrity of the budgetary process and the security of public funds.
The case also adds to the political pressure on Tinubu, especially as Nigeria prepares for the presidential election in January 2027.
The President has been under scrutiny for his administration’s economic policies, amidst challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn.
The scandal has raised concerns about the role of the National Assembly in the budget process and has prompted calls for an independent inquiry to prevent such incidents in the future.
The ICPC’s investigation aims to uncover how the PFIPC was able to secure a place in the national budget and to identify weaknesses in government procedures that may have been exploited.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: Africanews
Source: Rédaction Africanews
