The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to appear before its committee investigating the alleged operation of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) without legal approval.
The lawmakers issued the invitation after the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Dunoma Umar Ahmed, told the committee that the ministry had no official relationship with the council and had earlier raised concerns about its activities.
The permanent secretary appeared before the ad hoc committee on Tuesday with a letter dated July 21, 2026, explaining that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PEAC/PFIPC), approached the ministry on three occasions seeking support for a proposed World Investment Summit in Nigeria.
According to the ministry, the requests were made on June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026, but no action was taken because officials found inconsistencies in the documents presented and decided to conduct further checks.
The ministry stated that it contacted the Office of the National Security Adviser on October 16, 2025, to confirm the status of Prince Adeyemi and the council.
The response from the NSA, received on November 26, 2025, indicated that checks with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President showed that Prince Adeyemi was not known to any federal government office.
The ministry also told the committee that it did not take part in any diplomatic meetings or engagements organised by the PFIPC and had never had any official dealings with the council or its alleged director-general.
During the session, lawmaker Abubakar Hassan Fulata questioned why further steps were not taken after the ministry received confirmation that the council lacked government recognition.
The committee chairman said the ministry acted properly by seeking clarification from the NSA but insisted that the security agency must explain what action it took after learning about the alleged illegal body.
He said the NSA would be invited to provide answers on the matter.
Members of the committee also questioned how the council was able to engage foreign diplomats and reportedly organise events involving several embassies despite not receiving recognition from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The chairman said the development showed gaps in coordination among government institutions, adding that an organisation without legal backing should not be able to conduct activities involving foreign representatives.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said some private organisations sometimes bypass official diplomatic procedures and engage foreign missions directly, adding that it regularly reminds such groups to follow approved channels.
The committee thanked the ministry for its submission but said the investigation would continue. It directed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs appear before the panel on Thursday, while the NSA would also be invited to address questions raised during the inquiry.
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!