The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has questioned the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, over his alleged role in the controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC). The development comes as investigations continue into allegations involving the purported agency, which the Presidency has said was never lawfully established.
The ICPC has continued its investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), questioning President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over allegations linked to the emergence and activities of the purported council.
The interrogation marks a significant step in the anti-corruption agency’s probe into a controversy that has generated widespread public attention in recent weeks.
The PFIPC saga began after Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who presented himself as the council’s Director-General, made allegations involving senior government officials in relation to the establishment and funding of the body.
The Presidency has consistently maintained that the PFIPC is not a legally constituted government agency, describing it as a fictitious body and directing the ICPC to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
According to reports, investigators invited Gbajabiamila to provide explanations regarding issues connected to the controversy as part of the commission’s fact-finding exercise.
The ICPC has not announced any charges against the Chief of Staff, and the questioning forms part of its ongoing investigation aimed at establishing the facts surrounding the alleged agency and related claims.
The PFIPC controversy has sparked calls from opposition figures, civil society organisations and legal practitioners for an independent investigation, with some arguing that the inquiry should extend beyond the ICPC to ensure greater public confidence in the outcome.
The ICPC is expected to submit its findings after completing its investigation. Until then, the allegations surrounding the PFIPC and those linked to the controversy remain under investigation, with no determination of criminal liability having been made by the commission.