The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) has cleared Femi Gbajabiamila, the president’s chief of staff, of any wrongdoing in the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), concluding that the appointment letter presented by Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew was forged.
Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), chairman of the ICPC, confirmed the findings on Wednesday while delivering the commission’s interim report in Abuja, exactly 30 days after President Bola Tinubu directed the anti-graft agency to probe the activities of the purported bogus council.
Aliyu stated that he had submitted the interim report to the president and briefed him on the results of the probe.
“I have just submitted the interim report and briefed Mr. President accordingly. The President took the right decision in the spirit of transparency and accountability and directed me to address the media for the benefit of Nigerians,” he said.
According to the ICPC chairman, investigations determined that Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew was never appointed by the federal government or any other authorized government agency. He went on to say that the so-called Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, also known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, was not established by any statute, executive order, or other lawful government document.
Aliyu stated that the Commission discovered that the appointment letter given by Adeyemi, as well as other documents used in the operation of the alleged agency, were completely falsified.
“The appointment letter presented by Mr. Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was completely forged, alongside similar documents used to perpetrate the illegal activities of the fake agency,” he said.
The investigation also revealed that the fake council illegally appropriated the identity, offices, and operational structures of the former Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), while Adeyemi allegedly engaged in false representation, impersonation, and other illegal activities while presenting himself as the organization’s director-general.
The ICPC also found flaws in verification processes, inter-agency monitoring, and government procedures, which the suspect allegedly exploited with “some level of negligence and connivance.”
However, the Commission stated that no flaws were discovered in the internal systems of the State House or the Central Bank of Nigeria, classifying their procedures as “above board.”
Aliyu stated that the investigation found no evidence of public funds being approved or disbursed to either the fake PFIPC or the former PEAC.
The findings effectively exonerate Gbajabiamila’s office, which had come under public scrutiny following claims surrounding the alleged appointment. The Commission stated that investigations into other aspects of the case would continue.
