Reps Give MDAs 48-Hour Ultimatum Over Fake Agency Probe

The House of Representatives has given ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) 48 hours to appear before its ad-hoc committee investigating the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), a body lawmakers say may not be legally recognised by the Federal Government.

The committee, led by Yusuf Gagdi, said Thursday would be the final opportunity for defaulting agencies to comply voluntarily. Any institution that fails to appear with the requested officials and documents will face constitutional and legal sanctions, the committee said in a statement on Tuesday.

The panel described the continued absence of key officials as an affront to the National Assembly’s oversight powers. It said invitations issued by a duly constituted House committee are not optional, noting they are backed by Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which empower lawmakers to investigate public institutions.

“Compliance is therefore a legal obligation, not an act of courtesy,” the committee said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the National Security Adviser have both been summoned to appear in person. The committee also faulted the ministry of finance after the minister, Wale Edun’s aide, appeared in his stead instead of him at Tuesday’s hearing, insisting that invited officials must attend personally.

During the hearing, an official of the Central Bank of Nigeria told the committee that accounts linked to the council were opened following authorisation from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, but that the accounts carried a zero balance and had never been operated. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation also told the panel it found irregularities in the legal document the council presented as its enabling instrument, and denied deploying staff or allocating office space to it.

The National Security Adviser reportedly informed the ministry as far back as November 2025 that the council and its purported director-general were not recognised by the government. The committee said it wants to establish what action, if any, followed that discovery.

The probe followed allegations by a man identified as Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claimed to be the council’s director-general and said he paid ₦400 million to the Chief of Staff to the President to secure the position. The Chief of Staff has denied the allegations and filed a defamation suit. Police have since arrested a man in Osun State in connection with the case.

The committee said the investigation was in the national interest and not targeted at any individual, adding that its goal is to protect the integrity of public administration and ensure institutions operate within the law.

“Every public institution is hereby advised to treat this final warning with the seriousness it deserves,” the committee said.